Roman Dmowski Monument, Warsaw

Roman Dmowski Monument
Pomnik Romana Dmowskiego w Warszawie

Roman Dmowski Monument in the spring of 2007
Coordinates Coordinates: 52°13′6.7″N 21°01′30.1″E / 52.218528°N 21.025028°E / 52.218528; 21.025028
Location Na Rozdrożu Square, at the intersection of Szuch Avenue and Ujazdów Avenue, Warsaw, Poland
Designer Wojciech Mendzelewski, Maria Marek-Prus, Piotr Prus
Type Statue
Material Bronze
Height 5 metres (16 ft)
Completion date 10 November 2006
Dedicated to Roman Dmowski

The Roman Dmowski Monument in Warsaw (Polish: Pomnik Romana Dmowskiego w Warszawie) is a 5-metre (16 ft) tall bronze statue of Polish politician Roman Dmowski in Warsaw, at the Na Rozdrożu Square on the intersection of Szuch Avenue and Ujazdów Avenue.[1] It was unveiled on 10 November 2006.[1] The statue holds the Treaty of Versailles[2] and is engraved with a quote from Dmowski's book: "I am a Pole so I have Polish duties" (Jestem Polakiem więc mam obowiązki polskie...).[1] The monument has proven to be rather controversial.[3]

The construction of the monument was a result of the initiative supported by politicians Maciej Giertych, Bogusław Kowalski, and Jędrzej Dmowski.[4] The monument, sponsored by the municipal council of Warsaw, cost the Polish government about 500,000 zlotys.[4] The unveiling ceremony was attended by about 200 people, including politicians Maciej Giertych, Artur Zawisza and Wojciech Wierzejski, as well as priest Henryk Jankowski, who consecrated the monument.[4]

The location of the monument, near the office of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (located on Szuch Avenue), is symbolic of Dmowski's historical position as a Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland (which he held for about three months in 1923).[3]

Dmowski is the chief ideologue of Polish right-wing nationalism[4][5] and has been called "the father of Polish nationalism."[6][7] He is also seen as one of the main figures involved in restoring Polish independence after World War I, and was a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles.[8][9]

The monument has been called "one of the most controversial monument in Warsaw"[3] and it had led to a series of protests from organisations which see Dmowski as fascist and opponent of tolerance; in turn it is a rally icon for Polish right-wing nationalists (narodowcy).[4][10][11][12] Due to controversies and protests, plans to raise statues or memorials to Dmowski elsewhere have commonly been delayed.[13] Notable critics of the monument included Marek Edelman, veteran of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising; professor of history Maria Janion; historian and sociologist Alina Cała; and others.[4][14] It has been defended by other notable figures, such as historian Jan Żaryn[15] and politician Tomasz Nalecz who underlined that Dmowski was essential to restoration of Polish independence.[2]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Wydział Kultury i Promocji dla Dzielnicy Śródmieście Urzędu m.st. Warszawy. "Pomnik Romana Dmowskiego. Karta katalogowa - Karta ewidencji obiektu upamiętniajcego" (PDF) (in Polish). Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  2. 1 2 Tomasz Nałęcz. "Nałęcz - Pomnik dla Dmowskiego - WPROST". Wprost.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  3. 1 2 3 "Pomnik Romana Dmowskiego / pomnik / Wojciech Mendzelewski, Maria Marek-Prus, Piotr Prus" (in Polish). Puszka.waw.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 wiadomości.wp.pl. "Odsłonięto pomnik Romana Dmowskiego - Wiadomości - WP.PL" (in Polish). Wiadomosci.wp.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  5. ↑ Walicki, A. (1 December 1999). "The Troubling Legacy of Roman Dmowski". East European Politics & Societies 14 (1): 12–46. doi:10.1177/0888325400014001002., p.46
  6. ↑ Jóhann Páll Árnason; Natalie Doyle (2010). Domains and Divisions of European History. Liverpool University Press. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-84631-214-4.
  7. ↑ Laura Ann Crago (1993). Nationalism, religion, citizenship, and work in the development of the Polish working class and the Polish trade union movement, 1815-1929: a comparative study of Russian Poland's textile workers and upper Silesian miners and metalworkers. Yale University. p. 168.
  8. ↑ Walicki, A. (1 December 1999). "The Troubling Legacy of Roman Dmowski". East European Politics & Societies 14 (1): 12–46. doi:10.1177/0888325400014001002., p.14
  9. ↑ Walicki, A. (1 December 1999). "The Troubling Legacy of Roman Dmowski". East European Politics & Societies 14 (1): 12–46. doi:10.1177/0888325400014001002., p.12
  10. ↑ "Dmowski zasłonięty balonami. Ale tylko w przenośni" (in Polish). M.wyborcza.pl. 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  11. ↑ "Protesty powitają pomnik Dmowskiego" (in Polish). Wiadomosci.gazeta.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  12. ↑ Rp.pl. "Atak na pomnik Dmowskiego - Archiwum Rzeczpospolitej" (in Polish). Archiwum.rp.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  13. ↑ "Roman Dmowski na pomnik. Białystok zrobi krok do tyłu?" (in Polish). Wyborcza.pl. 2002-02-03. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  14. ↑ "Listy - List przeciw pomnikowi Romana Dmowskiego w Warszawie - Partia Zieloni 2004". Zieloni2004.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  15. ↑ "Wiadomości | wiadomości tv.rp.pl, informacje, ekonomia, prawo | rp.pl". Rzeczpospolita.pl. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
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