The Little Mermaid Statue

The Little Mermaid Statue

　 Introduction: The Little Mermaid statue is located in Langelinie Park in the northeastern part of Copenhagen’s city center. She sits quietly by the harbor, her expression sorrowful as she longs for the human prince she loved, as well as for her kingdom and family deep beneath the sea. This world-famous bronze statue was created in 1913, standing approximately 1.5 meters tall with a base diameter of about 1.8 meters. It was funded by Carl Jacobsen, the founder of Carlsberg Brewery, who commissioned Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create the statue based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” Carl Jacobsen was deeply moved after watching a ballet performance of “The Little Mermaid” and wanted to create a bronze statue of this iconic fairy tale character. He invited sculptor Edvard Eriksen to see the ballet, and later, Eriksen used his wife as the model to cast the Little Mermaid statue. The statue has endured many hardships over the years, having been damaged or even subjected to incidents such as having its arms broken or head cut off—yet it has always been recovered each time. Its “history of ordeals” adds an extra layer of emotion and sympathy for visitors. For nearly a century, the statue has become a symbol of Copenhagen and even of Denmark. Every visitor to Copenhagen makes it a point to see this statue and relive that beautiful yet melancholic story.

Copenhagen, Denmark