Monument to Świętopełk the Great

Dimensions: 2.8 m

Object: The monument to Świętopełk II the Great was unveiled during the 750th St. Dominic’s Fair, which was allegedly established by duke Świętopełk II, who ruled Gdańsk between 1227 and 1266. The statue was initiated by the Kashubian-Pomeranian Association to honour the ruler’s contributions to Gdańsk. The depiction is an idealised image inspired by representations of legendary Vikings and emphasised masculine physical attributes.

The bronze monument depicts a standing man gazing into the distance, shading his eyes against the sun with his left hand. In his right hand, resting on a shield, he holds a scroll symbolising the city’s founding charter. At the base of the statue is a plaque inscribed with ‘Świętopełk Wielki’ (‘Świętopełk the Great’). The entire composition is mounted on a pedestal with inscriptions and bronze replicas of the duke’s seals.

Świętopełk is dressed in full chainmail armour, common until the late 13th century, with a tunic over it and a cloak fastened with a clasp depicting an image consistent with the iconography of Gdańsk’s first seal – a cog with twelve stars. On his head is an ahistorical helmet, an artistic interpretation of either a lobster-tailed pot helmet or a nasal helmet, neither of which were in use during the 13th century. Similarly, the kite shield, popular in the 12th century, is oversized. It is adorned with a fleur-de-lis, a symbol present on the duke’s seals, although current research does not confirm its use as his coat of arms. The ensemble is completed with a fluttering pennant wrapped around the shaft of a spear held in the crook of the prince’s right elbow.

Although surviving iconographic materials depict the duke clean-shaven, the artist chose to alter the image by giving Świętopełk a beard – not only on the monument but also on the seals decorating the pedestal, which are replicas of the duke’s original seals. The plinth bears an inscription in the Kashubian language: ‘Zrzeszonëch naju nicht nie złómie’ (‘United, no one will break us’).

Location: The monument is situated on land originally granted by Świętopełk to the Dominicans on 22 January 1227. Initially covered with meadows, the area gradually became densely built up but was destroyed during the war in 1945. During Gdańsk’s reconstruction, this quarter was adapted into a square, and Księża Street was removed. In 2016, the square underwent revitalisation, making it more welcoming to residents and tourists. These changes were the result of collaboration between the city, residents, and the association Inicjatywa Miasto, which conducted public consultations on the area’s redevelopment. Outdated and non-functional pathways were removed, increasing the green space within the square. Additionally, the layout of the former Księża Street was marked using distinctive paving colours.

Information about the author: Wawrzyniec Samp (b. 25 June 1939) is a sculptor. He studied at the Faculty of Sculpture at the State School of Fine Arts (PWSSP) in Gdańsk, graduating in 1964 from Prof. Stanisław Horno-Popławski’s studio. Samp also majored in architectural and sculptural design and ceramics. His portfolio includes sculpture, medal-making, artistic blacksmithing, heraldry and design of sacral spaces. He is the author of many monuments, e.g. To Those Who for the Polish Identity of Gdańsk…, statue of John Paul II at Saint Bridget’s Church in Gdańsk, statue of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński in the Gniezno cathedral, and the coat of arms of the Pomeranian voivodship.

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: Kashubian-Pomeranian Association

Author of the entry: Noemi Etush