Kornel Ujejski Monument in Szczecin

The Kornel Ujejski Monument stands on a square between the Port Gate and Victory Square. It is a bronze bust of the poet by the Lwów sculptor Antoni Popiel, which over more than half a century travelled from Lwów to Szczecin.

What the monument looks like

The bronze bust was set on a granite plinth. On the plinth is a bronze lyre with broken shackles, symbolising the liberating power of poetry, against the background of the title page of “Chorał” (“Z dymem pożarów”), Ujejski's poem, as well as a torch and a laurel sprig. On the front of the plinth the poet's name is carved, and on the back the words “Narodzie mój bądź szczęśliwy”.

From Lwów to Szczecin

The monument was unveiled on 8 December 1901 in Lwów, in front of the City Casino on Akademicka Street. After the Soviet troops entered the city on 27 July 1944 it was taken down, and in 1950 it was handed over to Poland. For several years it was placed in a store of national memorabilia in the park at Wilanów in Warsaw. On 27 November 1956 it was moved to Szczecin, but the official unveiling took place only on 9 December 2006, on the 105th anniversary of the Lwów ceremonies.

The square adjoins the Port Gate, and a few hundred metres further stands St James the Apostle's Cathedral Basilica.

Practical information

• The monument stands on the square by the Port Gate, in the centre of Szczecin, and can be viewed at any time.