The Archer (Łuczniczka) in Bydgoszcz

The nude archer drawing her bow opposite the Polish Theatre is today the best-known symbol of Bydgoszcz, but for her first decades she was a local scandal. Between the wars the city council even voted to remove her. The bronze figure by the Berlin sculptor Ferdinand Lepcke has stood in Jan Kochanowski Park since 1960 and is one of the oldest surviving sculptures in the city.

History: the statue that embarrassed a city

The sculpture was probably made in 1908 and was one of Lepcke's last works (he lived 1866–1909). It was shown at exhibitions in Munich and Berlin, and a smaller version appeared in Bydgoszcz in May 1910. The Bydgoszcz banker and philanthropist Lewin Louis Aronsohn then decided to bring the original to the city and paid 7,500 marks for it. Mayor Hugo Wolff bought it in Berlin from the late artist's brother. The statue arrived on 26 August 1910 and was unveiled on 18 October 1910 on Theatre Square next to the Municipal Theatre.

Her nudity stirred strong feelings. During religious holidays the figure was screened off or dressed so as not to offend people in processions, and the film actress Pola Negri, who lived in Bydgoszcz in the 1920s, was among her opponents. The council's resolution to remove the statue was only dropped when the mayor of Poznań, Cyryl Ratajski, offered to buy it. In January 1945 the figure was lightly hit by bullets in the back, arms and legs, but she survived the fire and demolition of the theatre. In 1955 she was moved next to the museum on ul. Gdańska, and in 1960 to her present spot.

What to look for

• Size: the figure itself is 175 cm tall, 210 cm with the pink granite pedestal.
• Roman-style sandals are the archer's only "clothing".
• The bowstring and arrow – replaced during conservation work in 1987 and 1990.
• The mystery model – nobody knows who posed for her. Anecdotes point to a theatre extra, the donor's daughter Julia or one of Lepcke's Berlin models.

Good to know

Lepcke made several copies of the figure. They stand in Coburg, the artist's home town, in Heringsdorf on the island of Usedom, and in Wilhelmshaven, where Germans who had come from Bydgoszcz set one up in 1982. The Berlin copy was melted down after the war; since 1997 a reconstruction has stood on Museum Island. The city's indoor sports arena, opened in 2002, is named after her. Since 2013 the "Łuczniczka Nova", slimmer and 5 cm taller than the original, has stood by the Opera Nova.

Tripto tip

The statue stands in a public park, so you can see her free of charge at any time. 10–15 minutes is enough; the best photo is taken from the side, showing the drawn bow and the line of the arrow. Combine your visit with the Opera Nova and its "Łuczniczka Nova" to compare the two versions.