The Mermaid Monument in Warsaw

The Mermaid Monument, located on Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie Street in Warsaw, is a work by Ludwika Nitschowa, commissioned by the city’s mayor, Stefan Starzyński. Initially, plans were made to create a monumental sculpture from green glass, standing about 20 meters tall, but this concept proved too costly and difficult to realize. Ultimately, a bronze statue measuring 2.75 meters in height was chosen, cast in 1938 at the Łopieńscy Brothers’ foundry in Warsaw. The sculpture rests on a three-block sandstone pedestal. The monument gained popularity due to its design, which depicts the figure of the Mermaid with a raised sword and shield against the backdrop of the Vistula River, referencing the legend of the capital’s symbol. The monument was completed and installed along the Vistula in April 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II. Despite the lack of an official unveiling ceremony, the Warsaw press reported on the new monument. Over time, the statue came to symbolize not only Warsaw but also became an integral part of the aesthetic appeal of the Vistula boulevards. During the German occupation of Warsaw, both Mermaid monuments—the one on Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie and the other located in the Old Town—avoided destruction and survived even after the fall of the Warsaw Uprising, as they were situated in the frontline zone. After the war, the monument underwent several renovations, including in 1949 and 1966, when minor damages were repaired. Near the monument, a temporary sapper bridge named the Mermaid Bridge was erected in 1985, which was replaced by the permanent Świętokrzyski Bridge in 2000. In 2006, a plaque was unveiled commemorating the awarding of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War Order to Warsaw in 1939. An interesting fact is that a scaled-down replica of the monument is displayed at the Warsaw Uprising Museum, honoring Krystyna Krahelska, who served as the model for the sculpture. A controversial event occurred on March 8, 2024, when climate activists vandalized the monument with paint, drawing attention to its significance in the context of contemporary social and ecological issues. Thus, the Mermaid Monument remains an important symbol of Warsaw’s culture and history, embodying both aesthetic values and the local significance of the capital.