One of the ways we remember our heroes is by erecting statues or monuments to them and displaying them in prominent places for all to see. I have already explored monuments to heroes and Presidents (ETE #37), so here I will concentrate on statues of these great men and women.

     They are everywhere, so it is easy to find excellent examples. One of the most famous statues in the world is the Statue of Liberty, in New York harbor, a gift from the French government in the late 19th century. The statue greeted thousands of immigrants coming to America to start a new life.

Statue of Liberty

 A statue of a Minuteman, an American Colonial soldier, adorns the main square of Lexington, MA, where the Revolutionary War began.

Minuteman Statue, Lexington, MA

At Gettysburg National Battlefield, the Virginia Memorial features an equestrian statue of General Robert E Lee.

Robert E Lee Statue, Gettysburg

Also, in Pennsylvania, a statue of state founder, William Penn, can be seen atop Philadelphia’s impressive City Hall.

Philadelphia City Hall

Washington is replete with statues, as you would expect. Since I’ve highlighted Washington, D.C. in my post on presidents and heroes, I will not repeat these, but I will include one that have not been previously posted on the website, the statue of Theodore Roosevelt, one of my favorite presidents. It is found on Roosevelt island, between DC and Arlington, VA.

Teddy Roosevelt Memorial

Some noteworthy statues that we took pictures of in Hawaii, are King Kamehameha, the leader who united all the islands and became the first king. It is located directly across from the royal palace.

Lee with King Kamehameha

 On Waikiki Beach, there is a statue of Duke Kohanamoku, one of the state’s greatest surfers.

Lee with Duke Kohanamoku

In New Orleans, an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson adorns Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter.

Jackson Square, New Orleans

In Hong Kong, the statue of favorite son, Bruce Lee, graces the Avenue of the Stars, along the harbor.

Bruce Lee Statue

At the center of Trafalgar Square, in London, a statue of Admiral Nelson, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar, sits atop Nelson’s Column. 

Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square

 In Prague, Czech Republic, a statue of Jan Hus, a religious dissident who was martyred in 1415, after suggesting that Catholic mass should be presented in the local language, sits at one corner of the beautiful Old Town Square. His name has come to symbolize rebellion in this former Iron Curtain country.

Jan Hus Memorial

Appropriately, a statue of Mozart can be found in his birthplace, Salzburg, Austria. In fact, the square is known as Mozartplatz.

Mozartplatz

 This statue of St George slaying a dragon is found at the Primate Palace, in Bratislava, Slovakia.

St George Slaying the Dragon

In Budapest, at the Fisherman’s Bastion, there is an equestrian statue of Stephen I of Hungary.

St Stephen Statue, Budapest

There are, of course, many more of these tributes around the world, but this is a representative sampling..