Why the Danish Mermaid is the suffering monument in the history

April 24, 1964 in Copenhagen was decapitated the little Mermaid. First, but, alas, not the last time. Perhaps no single monument in the world, and even such — not associated with any policy or ideology, was not exposed as many times acts of vandalism, as the long-suffering Danish the little Mermaid.

Monument to the Mermaid one of the most famous symbols of Copenhagen and a popular tourist attraction. The image of the heroine of Andersen's fairy tales were embodied in bronze by sculptor Edward Eriksen in 1913. Its prototype was Ellen Price, whose party ballet in a production of "the little Mermaid" so impressed the son of the founder of Carlsberg brewery, he asked the sculptor to portray the dancer in the image of a sea dweller.

Bronze Mermaid and her the prototype of the ballerina Ellen Price

The little mermaid is a small bronze figure with a height of 125 cm and a weight of 175 kg and is located in the port of Copenhagen on a granite pedestal.

Perhaps any statue in the world are not mutilated so many times. Bronze Mermaid, looks like lot is not less suffering than the fairytale type. 50 years of the little Mermaid sitting quietly on his stone, and even without any damage survived the Second world war and the Nazi occupation of Denmark. And then started...

April 24, 1964 the residents and guests of Copenhagen was shaken by a horrible sight: a boulder, on the waterfront Langelinie sat decapitated the little Mermaid.

The head of the statue was never found, so I had to create a new one.

The little Mermaid the victim drove to the Studio the theatre Royal. Due to the fact that the original plaster model of the statue made by Edvard Eriksen, was able to cast a new head, although it was quite difficult.

After this act of vandalism the original plaster model of the little Mermaid, created by Eriksen, was hidden by the heirs of the sculptor in a secret place. Unfortunately, it then came in handy again and again.

The scandal with the little Mermaid became a global event: journalists from different countries illustrated the current situation of their editions, in the municipality of the Danish capital sent thousands of sympathetic letters and money for the restoration of the statue. Ironically, this contributed to the further popularization of the little Mermaid, and in Denmark, a flood of tourists.

On the wave of interest in this topic, journalists contacted Ellen Price, which became the model for the statue. The famous dancer at that time it was already 84 years old, and the pictures above the only thing on which she is depicted with a Mermaid. Ellen died 4 years later, in 1968.

33 years later after the incident, jørgen Nash in his book admitted that this act of vandalism was the work of his hands: so previously convicted artist-"the Situationist" fought "outdated classical art".

But the fate of the little Mermaid, Our attack was not the first and unfortunately not the last. In 1961, 1963 and 1976 it was doused with red paint, I added the panties and bra.

In 1984, the long-suffering little Mermaid lost his right arm in 1990 she nearly sawed off his head.

The second time the little Mermaid was beheaded in January 1998. The head is then searched for almost a month and in early February it anonymously tossed into a local Studio. A month after that access to the sculpture was closed.

And in 2003, vandals, all arranged near the statue of the explosion, causing the little Mermaid flew from his stone into the Bay where her body was found only two days later.

In 2007, the authorities of Copenhagen decided to move the monument on the harbour to avoid further vandalism and to prevent the constant attempts of tourists to climb on the sculpture. But the water did not stop the vandals.

Doused with paint the little Mermaid in may 2017

Every time the monument was restored, and then put on a former place to the delight of tourists and to calm residents. The Dane is convinced that the country will be all right, yet cast in bronze Mermaid seated on his stone intact.