The Mermaid Monument in Warsaw

The Mermaid Monument, located in the Old Town Market Square in Warsaw, was created between 1851 and 1855 as part of the construction of the city's first modern water supply system, designed by Henryk Marconi. The sculpture was crafted by artist Konstanty Hegel and cast in zinc at the Warsaw workshop of Karol Juliusz Minter. The mermaid is depicted as a melusine emerging from the waves, with a sword in her raised hand and a shield in the other. The monument underwent numerous transformations and relocations over the years; it was first installed in the center of a basin in the market square in 1855, then moved to Mariensztat in 1913. In 1929, the statue was relocated to the grounds of the "Syrena" Sports Club. During World War II, it survived destruction but sustained damage. After the war, the sculpture was restored and, in 1951, moved to the Central Park of Culture. Due to acts of vandalism, it was decided to return the Mermaid to the Old Town, and in 1999, it was unveiled on a new pedestal in a granite basin. In 2008, the original sculpture was replaced with a replica, and the original was transferred to the Museum of Warsaw. The monument is not only a significant feature of Warsaw’s landscape but also symbolizes the capital’s identity and serves as a key reference in cultural depictions of the Warsaw Mermaid, influencing its representations in art and literature.