Adam Mickiewicz Monument

Adam Bernard Mickiewicz was a multifaceted Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator, and political activist. He was born on December 24, 1798, and is considered the national poet of Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. Mickiewicz was a key figure in Polish Romanticism and is one of Poland's "Three Bards". He is widely regarded as Poland's greatest poet and is also considered one of the greatest Slavic and European poets, earning him the nickname "Slavic bard". His works have been compared to those of Byron and Goethe, and he is known for his poetic drama Dziady and national epic poem Pan Tadeusz, as well as influential works like Konrad Wallenrod and Grażyna.

Mickiewicz was born in the Russian-partitioned territories of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania and fought for the independence of his home region. As a result, he was exiled to central Russia for five years. In 1829, he successfully left the Russian Empire and spent the rest of his life abroad like many of his compatriots. He settled first in Rome, then in Paris, where he lectured on Slavic literature at the Collège de France for just over three years. He died, most likely due to cholera, in Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire, where he had gone to help organize Polish forces in the Crimean War. In 1890, his remains were repatriated from Montmorency in France, to Wawel Cathedral in Poland. Overall, Adam Mickiewicz was a celebrated poet and political activist who remains an important figure in Polish, Lithuanian, and Belarusian culture.

On June 16, 1898, a statue of Adam Mickiewicz, a renowned Polish Romantic poet of the 19th century, was unveiled on the 100th anniversary of his birth in the presence of his daughter and son. The statue was designed by Teodor Rygier, a relatively unknown sculptor at the time, who won the competition for the project. The statue features four allegorical groups at the poet's feet symbolizing the Motherland, Science, Courage, and Poetry. The inscription on the pedestal reads: "To Adam Mickiewicz, the Nation". Most of the funds for the creation of the monument were raised through public collections.

The monument was created in a studio on Długa Street under the oversight of an artistic committee. The figures were made at the Nellich foundry in Rome. Initially, several city squares were considered as the final location for the monument, but it was ultimately placed in the Main Market Square by the city Mayor. In 1940, the Nazis destroyed the monument during their invasion of Poland. It was not restored until 1955, but most of the figures were recovered from a Hamburg scrap metal heap in 1946, allowing for the restoration of the monument's original appearance.

The reconstructed monument was unveiled on November 26, 1955.

Adam Mickiewicz never visited Kraków during his lifetime. However, 35 years after his death in 1890, his remains were transferred from Paris to Kraków and interred in the Saint Leonard's Crypt under the Wawel Cathedral. Each year on Christmas Eve, the Adam Mickiewicz Monument is adorned with flowers by Kraków florists.

Various ceremonies, demonstrations, and happenings take place around the Adam Mickiewicz Monument.

On the name day of the bard on December 24th, florists from Krakow lay flowers at the feet of the poet.

Every year, the Krakow nativity scene contest begins at the monument.

Fans of Krakow teams celebrate sports successes.

Krakow high school seniors, during their prom season, hop on one leg around the monument, believing that the number of laps will equal the grades they receive on their final exams.

Soldiers transitioning to the reserves would meet at the monument and do push-ups, loudly chanting the names of the months they spent in the military.