Columns and statues to see Poland

Opposite the castle, in the center of the square, this column was built in 1664, in memory of King Sigismund III Vasa, who transferred the capital from Krakow to Warsaw. Destroyed during the Second World War, it was rebuilt and the bronze statue, miraculously spared, was replaced at the top of the building. In his right hand, he holds a sword symbolizing courage, in his left a cross, symbolizing the eternal will to fight evil.

Not far from the Mill Island, at the Jerzy Sulima-Kamiński Bridge, you can admire the famous sculpture The Man Crossing the River. This work by Jerzy Kędziora was installed in 2004 to commemorate Poland's entry into the European Union. The idea to place the sculpture on the Brda River came from the vice president of Bydgoszcz, Maciej Obremski. The sculpture shows a young man with a loincloth walking on a rope stretched over the river. This sculpture is far from unique in the Polish cityscape, and is a testament to the popularity of its author, who has managed to get himself commissioned in most of Poland's historic centers, for example Lublin and Krakow. In one hand he holds a pole, in the other an arrow, and on his shoulder he wears Roman sandals, the same as The Archer (Łuczniczki) of Bydgoszcz, another iconic sculpture of the city. Under the rope is a swallow. The figure is made of resin composites with brass dust. The height of the figure is 2.2 m, the weight is 50 kg. The pole is 6 m long and the rope is over 100 m long. The figure maintains its vertical position because the center of gravity of the figure is under the rope from which it is suspended. Thus the sculpture maintains its balance.

The young man represents the admirer of the beautiful archer, who carries the arrow released by the bronze beauty across the river.

This imposing statue was installed in 1853, almost two centuries ago. This work of art cast in bronze was made by the German sculptor Fryderyk Abraham Tieck. On its pedestal is the Latin inscription "Nicolaus Copernicus of Toruń stopped the Sun and the Sky and set the Earth in motion," a famous phrase that reminds us of the scholar's contributions to modern science. Today the statue is the classic meeting place of the people of Toruń.