Denmark’s probably biggest trademark, is the statue of the Little Mermaid. The statue illustrates the fairy tale written by the danish writer Hans Christian Andersen – but in big contrast to the original tale, she never gets her prince and ends up as foam on the surface of the sea. 

The Statue was a gift from Carl Jacobsen, who is the son of the founder of the Carlsberg beer (J.C. Jacobsen), and she was placed on her stone by Langeline in 1913. The statue is made by the sculptor Edvard Eriksen, and it was his wife, Eline, who stood model for the statue. (To a lot of people’s surprise, the statue you can visit is actually a copy, as the original is in the possession of Edvard Eriksen’s heirs).

Through the years the statue has been vandalized many times, for example she has been decapitated twice. The first time in 1964 and again in 1998. The head was never recovered the first time, so the one you see is a copy of a copy...). The statue has also had graffiti painted on it and been wearing various costumes and football shirts. At the same time, she is accused of being the most disappointing attraction, due to its size.