Hans Christian Andersen on a Bench

A quiet encounter with a famous storyteller

Hans Christian Andersen on a Bench is one of Odense’s most disarming tributes to its most famous son. Rather than towering on a pedestal, the author sits at street level on a simple bench, coat buttoned, hat on, caught mid-thought as if he has just stepped out of one of his own stories. The sculpture stands by the entrance of a central hotel complex on Claus Bergs Gade, in the heart of the city’s Andersen district. Here, the celebrated writer is rendered approachable and human. You can slide into the empty space beside him, rest your hand on the cool bronze, and imagine the clatter of quill on paper or the murmur of a tale being born. The bench turns the monument into a meeting place rather than a distant object, encouraging you to share a moment of stillness with a figure who shaped the world’s imagination.

Jens Galschiøt’s lifelike bronze portrait

The bench figure was created by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt, known for expressive bronzes that feel both grounded and slightly theatrical. In this work, he captures Andersen with natural folds in his coat, finely modelled hands and a face that mixes curiosity with a hint of melancholy. Up close, the surface reveals subtle textures that catch the changing light of the Danish sky. Galschiøt’s Andersen is not frozen in stiff heroism. His posture is relaxed, almost conversational, one leg slightly forward, as if he might turn at any moment to address you. This informality makes the sculpture particularly engaging for children, who often clamber up beside him, and for adults who want a more intimate portrait than the grand statues in the nearby parks.

Part of Odense’s fairy-tale sculpture trail

The bench is one of several Andersen-inspired works scattered through Odense’s streets, gardens and riverbanks. Around the hotel complex, four other pieces pick up themes from his tales, forming a small cluster of bronze figures that you can explore in a few unhurried minutes. Further afield, you will find statues of the author in Eventyrhaven, imaginative takes on stories like The Steadfast Tin Soldier and The Emperor’s New Clothes, and sculptural references to paper boats, swans and toads. Seen within this larger network, Hans Christian Andersen on a Bench becomes a gentle starting point or mid-way pause on a city-wide treasure hunt. It connects the literary heritage preserved in the museums with the lived city of cafés, shops and concert venues, keeping Andersen’s presence alive in everyday public space.

A simple stop woven into a city stroll

Most visitors spend only a short time at the bench, but it lingers in memory because of its simplicity. There is no ticket office, no barrier, no prescribed route: you can encounter it on your way between the cathedral, the concert hall and the museum. The setting is urban but calm, with passing bicycles, the hum of traffic at a distance and the occasional tolling of nearby church bells. The spot works well at almost any time of day. In the morning, soft light picks out the folds of Andersen’s coat; later, the bronze warms in the sun and the surrounding façades throw changing reflections onto the metal. After dark, street lighting gives the figure a more introspective mood, as if he has retreated into his own thoughts while the city settles around him.

Photographs, daydreams and a place to pause

For many, the greatest pleasure of this sculpture is how naturally it fits into ordinary moments. You might perch for a quick photograph, share the bench with a friend while you compare notes on Andersen’s tales, or simply sit in silence and watch the city flow past. The work invites a little play-acting: a whispered wish into the author’s ear, a child telling him their favourite story, or a traveller quietly planning the next steps of their journey. In a city rich with formal exhibitions, Hans Christian Andersen on a Bench offers something smaller but no less meaningful: an invitation to slow down, take a seat and imagine what stories might begin from this very spot.