The Copernicus Monument is a 19th-century statue dedicated to Nicolaus Copernicus. Capture a few photos of this important statue and pay your respects to the man widely recognized as the father of modern astronomy.
The monument is fittingly set in front of Staszic Palace, the headquarters of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The palace was constructed in the 19th century to serve as a residence for the Warsaw Society of Friends of Learning, Poland’s first scientific organization. Admire the building’s grand neoclassical façade, which was designed by Italian architect Antonio Corazzi.
Completed in 1830, the Copernicus statue is the work of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. During World War II, Nazis added a bronze plaque to the statue indicating that the famous astronomer was actually German, not Polish. A local boy managed to steal the plaque and the Nazis retaliated by removing the statue completely. The statue was finally brought back to this site in 1949. Look for the infamous plaque at the Historical Museum of Warsaw.
Notice how the figure of Copernicus is depicted holding in one hand a drawing compass and in the other an armillary sphere with the sun at the center of celestial rings. Walk to the eastern side of the marble pedestal and inspect a Latin inscription which reads "Nicolo Copernico Grata Patria" (to Nicolaus Copernicus [from a] Grateful Nation). On the west face of the pedestal is a Polish inscription that addresses the astronomer by his Polish name, reading "Mikolajowi Kopernikowi Rodacy" (to Mikolaj Kopernik [from his] compatriots).
Copernicus is famous for developing the theory that the earth revolves around the sun. His book, De Revolutionibus, described this heliocentric theory and was published in 1543. Look in front of the monument and you’ll see a bronze depiction of the solar system. Added in 2007, this more recent casting was inspired by an image that appeared in his famous book.
Find the Copernicus Monument on Krakowskie Przedmieście, in front of Staszic Palace. Reach the site on foot from the Old Town.
