Didn’t Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of Carlsberg, once fall in love with a fairy tale? It inspired one of Copenhagen’s most iconic landmarks. We are standing before a bronze statue. It is called The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid statue has been here since 1913. Carl Jacobsen gifted it to Copenhagen. He was captivated by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. He saw a ballet about it at the Royal Danish Theatre.
The statue depicts a mermaid becoming human. She sits on a rock at the Langelinie promenade. The Little Mermaid is small but significant. She weighs 175 kilograms and is just over a meter tall.
The sculptor Edvard Eriksen created The Little Mermaid. Ballerina Ellen Price inspired the head. She danced the lead role in the ballet. However, she did not pose nude. Eriksen’s wife, Eline Eriksen, posed for the body.
The Little Mermaid has faced much vandalism. Her head has been sawn off twice. Her arm was once removed. People have poured paint on her many times. But she is always restored. She welcomes travelers to Copenhagen harbor.
In 2010, The Little Mermaid traveled to Shanghai for the Expo. A copy stood in her place in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens. Officials considered moving her further into the harbor. This was to prevent vandalism. But she remains waterside at Langelinie.
In 1964, politically motivated artists stole her head. A new head replaced it. In 1984, someone sawed off her right arm. It was returned days later. In 2003, explosives knocked her off her base.
Vandals have painted The Little Mermaid many times. In 2017, red paint and a message about whales in the Faroe Islands covered her. Another time, blue and white paint appeared with a political message. In 2020, the words “racist fish” were written on her base.
Sometimes people dress her up. She has worn a burqa to protest Turkey joining the European Union. She has also sported a Christmas hat and sports jerseys.
Many copies of The Little Mermaid exist worldwide. You can find them in Solvang, California and Seoul. There is even one at Victor Borge’s grave.
The Little Mermaid is under copyright until 2030. The Eriksen family authorizes replicas for sale. In 2020, a newspaper was sued for parodying her in a cartoon.
The Little Mermaid has appeared in many films. She symbolizes Copenhagen in a video game. She remains a powerful symbol of the city. The Little Mermaid continues to enchant visitors from around the globe. Her story of love and sacrifice resonates deeply.