Statue of Hans Christian Heg

Hans Christian Heg is a 1925 statue of former Union soldier and abolitionist Hans Christian Heg by Paul Fjelde. It is installed at the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.

Statue of Hans Christian Heg
The statue in 2013
ArtistPaul Fjelde
Medium
SubjectHans Christian Heg
LocationMadison, Wisconsin, U.S.

Description

The bronze sculpture measures approximately 9 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. by 3 ft., and rests on a granite base which measures approximately 6 ft. x 5 ft. x 5 ft.[1]

History

The statue was created in 1925 as a gift of the Norwegian Society of America, which raised funds for its cost. The sculptor was Norwegian-American Paul Fjelde who, in describing his work said, "The figure that I have created shows a much younger Colonel Heg than his photographs. After all he was a young man, only thirty-three when he died. I tried to regain the spirit of youth which must have been his before the cares of war had aged him beyond his years. I think I have succeeded."[2]

The statue was shipped in 1925 from Norway on the Norwegian-American Line, arrived in New York on August 21 of that year, and completed the rest of its journey to Madison on September 3. After its arrival, the 2,000lb crate containing the statue was stored in the northeast pavilion of the Capitol Building. The delay between arrival and dedication lasted for more than a year, and was due to the need to raise some $2,000 to purchase and erect a base for the statue's final home.[3]

Two thousand spectators attended the unveiling of the statue on October 17, 1926 at the Wisconsin State Capitol. It was dedicated "in memory of a distinguished citizen and volunteer soldier of the Civil war period."[1][4]

Vandalism

The memorial statue was beheaded and thrown in Lake Monona by protesters as demonstrations in Madison turned violent in June 2020.[5][6] Two protestors interviewed by the media alleged that toppling the statue was to draw attention to their view of Wisconsin as being racially unjust.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. "Hans Christian Heg, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  2. Colbo, Ella Stratton (1975). Historic Heg Memorial Park: photographic views and brief historical sketches of the outstanding points of interest in and about Heg Memorial Park, Racine County, Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries: The State of Wisconsin Collection: Racine County Historical Society. pp. p. 30.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  3. "Statue of Col. Hans Heg Now in Capitol Building". Wisconsin State Journal. September 10, 1925. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  4. "Photos: So who was Hans Christian Heg? Here's why the Civil War hero had a statue". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  5. Chiu, Allyson (June 24, 2020). "Wisconsin state senator attacked by protesters as demonstrations in Madison turn violent". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  6. Viviani, Nick; Purser, Allie. "Protesters topple Forward statue and Heg statue". WMTV (www.nbc15.com). Retrieved Jun 25, 2020.
  7. Journal, Kelly Meyerhofer. "'Strategic' or 'misguided'? Toppling of statues sparks latest debate on Madison protests". madison.com.
  8. Foody, Kathleen (June 24, 2020). "Targeted sculptures linked to Wisconsin, Civil War history". Associated Press.

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