Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Toruń
The Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Toruń is a 1853 monument dedicated to the city’s famous native. It stands on the Old Market Square in the center of Toruń’s Old Town. The idea for the monument was first raised in 1839 by several residents, and although it had the support of the Prussian kings Frederick William III and Frederick William IV, it was completed only 14 years later. The project was designed by Christian Friedrich Tieck, who died two years before the monument was installed. The statue is 2.6 meters tall and shows Copernicus holding an astrolabe in his left hand, with the index finger of his right hand pointing to the sky.
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Identification | |
| Title | Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Toruń |
| Type | Monument; statue |
| Subject | Nicolaus Copernicus |
| Original-language name | Pomnik Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu |
Historical context | |
| Planning began | 1839 |
| First proposal | The first proposal to commemorate Copernicus with a monument dates to the 1730s |
| Later initiative | Stanisław Staszic initiated a new monument project during the Duchy of Warsaw period |
| Political context | Toruń passed from the Kingdom of Poland to Prussia after the partitions of Poland, then was part of the Duchy of Warsaw from 1807 to 1813 before returning to Prussian control |
| Commissioned for | The monument was commissioned for Toruń |
| Commissioned by | Napoleon commissioned Bertel Thorvaldsen to work on the monument in 1809 |
| Completion in Warsaw | A related Copernicus monument was completed in Warsaw in 1830 |
Creator | |
| Commissioned artist | Bertel Thorvaldsen |
| Additional designer | Johann Heinrich Strack |
| Designer | Christian Friedrich Tieck |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Cost of construction | 10,449 thalers |
| Arrival in Toruń | 15 February 1852 |
| Arrival in Bydgoszcz | 14 February 1852 |
| Transport to Toruń | 12 February 1852 |
| Pedestal construction location | Lower Silesia |
| Casting location | Berlin |
| Caster | Heinrich Fischer of Berlin |
| Completed model delivered | 2 August 1849 |
| Model contract | 3 July 1847; 13 months; 1,400 thalers |
| Foundation stone laid | 1809 |
| Funding approved | May 1839 |
| Pedestal designer | Jan Strack of Berlin |
| Royal subsidy | 2,000 thalers |
| Association leader | Leopold Prowe |
| Initiators | Several residents of Toruń |
| Supporters | King Frederick William III of Prussia, his son Frederick William IV, and Polish Roman Catholic clergy |
| Estimated cost | 6,000–7,000 Prussian thalers |
| Association members | Twelve citizens |
| Association | Copernicus Denkmalverein, later Coppernicus-Verein für Wissenschaft und Kunst zu Thorn |
| Original proposed location | Old Market Square in Toruń, initially on the western side near the evangelical church (today Church of the Holy Spirit) |
| Planned unveiling year | 1843 |
| Planned unveiling occasion | 300th anniversary of Copernicus's death |
| Initial intended sculptor | Johann Gottfried Schadow |
| Recommended sculptor | Christian Friedrich Tieck |
| Recommended material | Bronze |
Physical characteristics | |
| Form | Standing statue on a pedestal |
| Height | 2.6 m |
| Size | Twice life-size |
| Pedestal height | 16 feet |
| Associated fountain element | A fountain with a bronze dolphin mouth |
Materials | |
| Statue material | Bronze |
| Pedestal material | Stone |
| Fountain element material | Bronze |
Technique | |
| Casting | Bronze casting |
Appearance | |
| Depicted figure | Nicolaus Copernicus standing |
| Attire | Academic dress |
| Left hand attribute | Astrolabe |
| Right hand gesture | Right index finger pointing to the sky |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Symbolism | The pose symbolizes Copernicus's connection with astronomy and the study of the heavens |
| Inscription | Nicolaus Copernicus Thorunensis. Terrae motor, Solis Caelique stator |
| Inscription translation | "Toruń native Nicolaus Copernicus. Mover of the Earth, stopper of the Sun and the Heavens" |
| Back inscription | The astronomer's dates of birth and death are on the back of the pedestal |
Location and ownership | |
| Current setting | Old Town complex, on the square near the south-eastern corner of the Town Hall |
| Original intended city | Toruń |
| Temporary location before pedestal arrived | Church of the Holy Spirit in Toruń |
| Current location | Old Town Market Square, near the southeastern corner of the Town Hall, Toruń, Poland |
History and restoration | |
| Designer died before installation | Yes, Christian Friedrich Tieck died in May 1851, before the monument was erected |
| Model damaged | In 1848, the monument model was damaged or completely destroyed |
| Unveiled | 25 October 1853 |
| Restored | 2003 |
| Restoration occasion | 150th anniversary of the unveiling |
| Restoration works | The bronze dolphin-mouth fountain and the reservoir beneath it were restored |
Significance | |
| Historical significance | The monument's creation was tied to Polish national efforts and political changes following the Napoleonic Wars |
| Assessment | In 1856 it was considered one of only eight monuments to Copernicus |