About the Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is one of Denmark's biggest tourist attractions. The statue illustrating Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale of the same name was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and was donated to the City of Copenhagen by patron of art Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg Breweries.

The statue’s head was modelled from prima ballerina Ellen Price, who danced the lead role in the ballet The Little Mermaid in 1909, and she made a great impression on Carl Jacobsen. As Ellen Price, however, did not want to pose in the nude, the statue’s body was modelled from the sculptor’s wife Eline Eriksen.

The statue, cast in bronze, is only 125cm tall and weighs 175kg.

The Little Mermaid was placed at Langelinie on 23 August 1913.

The statue has repeatedly been subjected to vandalism, as for example on 11 September 2003 when unknown perpetrators toppled her from her stone.

As owner of the Little Mermaid, the City of Copenhagen decided on 12 March 2009 that the sculpture could be exhibited in the Danish pavilion at the world exhibition EXPO 2010 Shanghai.

EXPO 2010 Shanghai is held from 1 May to 31 October 2010 and the Little Mermaid will be away from her rock from 1 April to 30 November 2010.

The temporary relocation of the Little Mermaid is part of a cultural exchange between Denmark and China. During the Little Mermaid’s stay in Shanghai, a work of art by one of China's most recognised artists will be displayed instead.

New Carlsberg Foundation, one of the national partners in the Danish EXPO project, is already working on ensuring that both Copenhageners and tourists will get a unique art experience while the Little Mermaid is in China. The Chinese art work will be announced later this spring.

The Little Mermaid’s return trip, erection and dismantling will be monitored thoroughly by representatives of the Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority and the City of Copenhagen.