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Europe's Largest Mary Statue Inaugurated in Poland, Funded by Multimillionaire
🇦🇹 Austria /Culture & Society

Europe's Largest Mary Statue Inaugurated in Poland, Funded by Multimillionaire

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Europe's largest statue of Mary, standing 55 meters tall, has been inaugurated in Konotopie, Poland.
  • The monument was funded by Polish multimillionaire Roman Karkosik as an act of gratitude.
  • The project, estimated at 23 million Euros, draws comparisons to a large Jesus statue in Swiebodzin, though public opinion in Poland is divided, with some criticizing it as "King Kong on the field."

A colossal statue of Mary, measuring over 55 meters in height, has been inaugurated in the Polish village of Konotopie, near Torun. The monument, officially titled "Monument to the Mother of God," is now considered the largest statue of Mary in Europe. The statue itself stands 40.6 meters tall, with its crown-shaped base adding another 15 meters.

out of gratitude towards Mary

— Roman KarkosikExplaining his motivation for funding the construction of the statue.

The ambitious project was financed by Roman Karkosik, a prominent Polish entrepreneur and one of the country's wealthiest individuals, known for his success in the automotive supply industry and as a stock market investor. Karkosik stated his motivation for commissioning the statue was "out of gratitude towards Mary." The construction costs are estimated by the Polish portal "Architektura Murator" to be around 23 million Euros.

King Kong on the field

— Pawel GuzynskiA critical description of the large Marian statue.

This XXL-sized Marian monument is not the first of its kind in Poland. A towering statue of Jesus, inspired by Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer, was erected in Swiebodzin in 2010, funded by public donations. While residents of Konotopie anticipate a surge in tourism and pilgrimages, the new statue has also sparked criticism within Poland. Dominican priest Pawel Guzynski likened the monument to "King Kong on the field" and described the endeavor as a form of "dancing around the golden calf," referencing biblical idolatry.

The whole undertaking is a form of dancing around the golden calf.

— Pawel GuzynskiCriticizing the statue project as a form of idolatry.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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