Leave The Statue Of The Little Mermaid Alone!

Ninety four years ago on August 23,1913 in Copenhagen was opened one of the ten world’s mostly known monuments – the statue of the Little Mermaid, a heroine of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.

Since then the Little Mermaid sitting at Langelline Quay by the entrance of the city port is considered a national symbol and the main place of interest of Copenhagen.

Sitting on a granite boulder at the shore edge Andersen’s Little Mermaid is thoughtfully looking afar. This wonderful bronze sculpture is created by Danish sculptor Edward Erickson under the order of the large brewer and patron of art Charles Jacobsen.

The model served for the statue was the sculptor’s wife, the Royal opera and ballet theatre’s dancer Helen Price. In 1913 Charles Jacobsen has presented the sculpture to the city, and since then it is impossible to imagine the Danish capital without the Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid has been repeatedly exposed to vandalism acts. In 1961, 1963 and 1976 it was poured with paint, drawn over with panties and bra, and even have been blown up, but each time the statue has been reconstructed by the original breadboard model.

In 1964 unknown persons have decapitated the statue. Fortunately, there was saved the old plaster mould on which a new head was made. Criminals haven’t been found.

To tell the truth, there were such talks that the act of vandalism was committed by the Danish writer and the artist “situationist” Jorgen Nash, who has confessed in 1997 in his memories that it was him who has sawn off the Mermaid’s head and drowned it in one of Copenhagen lakes.

In the summer of 1984 hooligans have cut off the Mermaid’s right hand. These were two young guys, who came to police and admitted, that they committed this barbarous act being drunk. Hooligans were punished only for “the municipal property defacement”, and the Little Mermaid was reconstructed again.

In 1990 someone had almost cut off its head, having cut practically the whole neck.

In 1998 it was decapitated once again, however there was found a fragment, and the sculpture has been repaired.

In 2003 on September, 11 the Little Mermaid has been thrown into the water from the pedestal on which it was established.

On December, 16, 2004 the sculpture was dressed in veil and attached with the tablet ” Turkey in EU? “( in connection with the Turkey intention to enter the European Union).

On March, 2007 vandals in witness of hundreds tourists have dyed the bronze sculpture in pink. It was returned the original form with the help of a special soap solution.

On May, 15, 2007 unknown vandals have painted the head and left hand of the Little Mermaid in red.

On May, 20, 2007 unknown persons have dressed the sculpture in a Muslim dress and hijab.

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His Travel Deals site is http://www.travelime.com

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Posted by Cinnamon on Tuesday, August 28, 2007, at 12:28 pm. Filed under Culture Shock, Travel and Leisure, Weird Stuff. Tagged denmark, Mermaid, war. Follow any responses to this post with its comments RSS feed. You can post a comment or trackback from your blog.