Monument to Nicholas Copernicus
Miko1aja Kopernika 43, Warszawa, Poland
Description:
The sculpture depicting Nicolaus Copernicus is located in Warsaw and was created by Danish master Bertel Thorvaldsen.
The monument, cast in 1822 in bronze, was erected in 1830 in front of Stashytsia Palace. The grand opening of the sculpture, during which the Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich was present, took place on May 11 in 1830. The sculpture was created at the expense of the Catholic priest Stanislav Staszytsa.
The monument depicts the great astronomer holding an armillary sphere in his left hand and a compass in his right. During the hostilities in 1941-1945, the inscriptions on the pedestal were closed by the German occupation authorities with German inscriptions, but Polish soldiers tore them down. Copies of this monument are located in Chicago and Montreal.