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A statue of Copernicus stands outside the Polish Academy of Sciences Photo by Paul Louis-

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Monument to Nicolaus Copernicus

The Nicolaus Copernicus monument is one of the most remarkable landmarks in the capital of Polish.

It is rooted before the Staszic Palace, the seat of the Polish Academy of sciences on Krakpwskie Przedmiescie.

The monument is dedicated to the Polish astronomer and mathematician, Nicolaus Copernicus, who popularized the heliocentric theory, proof that all planets revolve around the sun.

The statue was designed by Bertel and features a bronze statue of Nicolaus, holding a compass and artillery sphere.

Here are the top 10 amazing facts about Monument to Nicolaus Copernicus.

1. The monument was dedicated to the father of modern astronomy

While much of modern astronomy is associated with the prominent Galileo, the person who ushered in the idea of planets revolving around the sun was none other than the polish astronomer Nicolas, who lived in the 15^th and 16 centuries.

Nicolaus was a Renaissance polymath and an astronomer who came up with the module of the universe that placed the sun rather than the earth at its center.

It’s believed he developed the theory independently of Aristarchus of Samos, an ancient Greek astronomer who had such a similar idea some eight centuries earlier.

Copernicus shocked his contemporaries when his publication of De revolutcenibus erbium coelestium emerged, which asserted that the earth rotates on its axis once a day and travels around the sun once a year.

His ground-breaking work was published shortly before his death, one would think he would be celebrated for such great ideas but Nicolaus’s work faced the wrath of many, especially from the church.

Ironically Copernicus dedicated his book to the Pope, but the catholic church renounced it decades after it was published, and even placed it in the index of prohibited books in 1616 as it was contemporary to the scripture.

2. The statue was to be erected in the hometown of Copernicus

Nicolaus_Copernicus_MonumentTorun photo by Nieszka-

Upon finishing the design and structure of the monument, the plan was to mount it in Torun, the hometown of Copernicus.

The motivation to mount the statue arouse when Napoleon expressed disappointment upon visiting Torun town and noticing the absence of any form of commemoration to the great astronomer.

While plans were been made to move the statue the trade of war halted the project due to the fall of the Duchy of Warsaw, which had included Torun, and the preoccupation of the region by Prussia.

These unforeseen circumstances delayed the project and forced it to change its venue to Warsaw, which was in the Russian partition.

3. The monument was sabotaged in World War two

During the Nazi German occupation of Warsaw in 1939, the monument became the object of friction between the German soldiers and the Polish Underground forces.

Upon seizing Warsaw, the Nazi Germans removed the Latin and Polish inscription and attached a plague of the German language to the monument, and it read “To Nicolaus Copernicus from the German Nation”.

This provocation flamed the cold war that took place in the events following the plaque replacement and on February 11, 1942, Macie Alesky removed the plaque in the German language.

The Germans retaliated and on February 21, 1942, they moved the statue of Jan Kilinski to the National Museum in Kilinski.

Dawidowski and his comrades responded by placing a large graffito on the museum stating “People of Warsaw _ I am here”

4. The monument was damaged during the World War

The monument had no peace and moment to shine during the world war as it was the center of threat throwing for both opposing forces.

In 1944, during the Warsaw uprising, the monument was damaged and the Germans gave it no rest and decided to melt it down and eliminate it for once.

The Warsaw was a significant World War two operation conducted by the Polish Underground resistance, an informer to liberate Warsaw from German occupation.

The Germans were determined to melt down the monument and moved it to Nysa, but fate wasn’t on their side and they had to retreat before they got the chance to melt it down.

The monument was brought back by the Poles and it landed in Warsaw on July 22, 1945, it was renovated and unveiled to its former glory on July 22, 1949.

5. Replicas of the original were produced in other states

Monument_of_Nicolaus_Copernicus_-_panoramio photo by Jarosław Baranowski-

The monument of Nicolaus Copernicus depicts him with a pair of compasses in the right hand and an armillary sphere in the left.

What’s interesting about the statue is the way it was designed to show Nicolaus sitting, an indication to show he is a guest in Warsaw, but on the other hand in Torun his hometown the astronomer is erected in a standing position to show he is a host of the town.

Nicolas wasn’t only honored for his work in Warsaw and Torun but also in other parts of the world. His other statues can be found near the Palace of Culture and Science.

Other exact copies were also made and can be viewed overseas in Chicago and Montreal.

In Montreal, the monument is installed outside the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Monreal Space for Life and it was originally displayed for Expo 67.

The Copernicus Foundation of Chicago raised $150,000 to replicate the original monument located in Warsaw, Poland.

6. The monument was designed by a notoriety Danish sculptor

The monument of the Nicolaus Copernicus is truly an artwork deserving praise and the brain behind the sophisticated design is the renowned Danish sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen.

Bertel was a sculptor prominent in the neoclassical period, who became the first intentionally acclaimed Danish artist.

7. The statue stood before the Staszic Palace since 1830

PL_Warsaw_Copernicus_Statue1914 photo by Unknown author-

The statue of Nicolas corpenius stands before the Staszic Palace and this is no coincidence.

The Staszic was purchased by Stanislaw Staszizc, who was a leading figure of the polish enlighten.

He was part of the participant that largely donated to the construction of the monument. He donated the Staszic building to the Society of Friends of Science, the first polish learned society dedicated to science.

On May 1830, Bertel Thorvaldsen’s monument to Nicolaus Copernicus in Infront of the Palace marked the height of an era ushering in a scientific community.

8. The plaster model of the monument was held at the Thorvaldsen Museum

During the world war the monument was subjected to destruction but was later renovated to the glory it is today.

The statue was designed by Bertel in 1822, and it was completed in 1830. The original Thorvaldsen plaster model from 1822 and a smaller Study from 1821 are both protected by the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen.

The museum is a single artist museum which is dedicated to the works of Bertel Thorvaldsen, the museum is located on a small island of Slotsholmen and is next to Christiansborg Palace.

9. The Polish Clergy Refused to acknowledge the monument

The monument’s existence was aided by funds from the public and contributions from the scientist and philosopher Stanislaw Staszizc.

A ceremony to unveil the monument to the public was held in 1830, which was presided over by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a former comrade in arms, and Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz.

While many people were thrilled to welcome the monument to be part of their society, the Polish Clergy refused to attend the ceremonies citing his book, which had been condemned by the holy office in 1616. The ban was dropped in 1758 during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XIV.

10. A New feature was added to the statue in 2007

The monument received a bronze representation of Copernicus’s solar system, modeled after an image in his De revolutionibus coelestium.

The new feature of the solar system was placed on the square in front of the monument in 2007.

The monument was vandalized in July 2008, but the stolen parts were later recovered and the statue was complete in its place of glory.