Hans Christian Andersen Sculpture in Odense Harbour

A fairy-tale figure walking through the harbour

The Hans Christian Andersen sculpture in Odense Harbour is not the sort of monument you expect for Denmark’s most beloved storyteller. Instead of standing on a high pedestal in a garden, the three‑meter bronze figure strides straight through the harbour basin below Odense Havnebad, his coat flaring out behind him as if caught in a sudden gust from the fjord. From the quayside you see his upper body emerging from the water, while the lower part of the figure is hidden beneath the surface, creating the uncanny impression that Andersen is calmly wading through the basin. The sculpture’s placement at the water’s edge connects it playfully to tales like “The Little Mermaid” and “The Ugly Duckling.” Reflections of the bronze in the shifting water add an extra layer of movement, especially on breezy days when ripples distort his silhouette and make him seem almost alive.

An artwork born of protest and persistence

The piece was created by Odense-based artist Jens Galschiøt, known for large-scale, emotionally charged sculptures. Originally, this Andersen figure was intended for a central fountain project known as The Storyteller’s Well. When funding disappeared and no suitable downtown site emerged, the finished bronze stood in limbo outside Odense City Hall for several years, a monument without a permanent home. Frustrated by the bureaucracy, Galschiøt staged a symbolic “burial” in 2011, transporting the statue in a ceremonial procession to the harbour, complete with brass band and spectators, before lowering it dramatically into the water. The event became a story in its own right, blurring the line between performance and protest and underlining how public art can spark debate about who decides what belongs in a city’s shared spaces.

From burial to resurrection beneath the bathing pools

The harbour “burial” was not the end of the story. The statue was later raised again and spent a period touring other locations in Denmark before the original was sold. Under cover of night, a reproduction appeared back in Odense Harbour, installed without formal approval. This quietly subversive act turned the work into a kind of urban legend: the author who refused to disappear from his hometown’s waterfront. Today, the sculpture stands directly below Odense Havnebad, the outdoor harbour bath. Swimmers looking down from the pools see Andersen from above, while visitors on the quay look across at him from eye level. The dialogue between the cool geometry of the bathing platforms, the industrial lines of the harbour and the expressive bronze figure gives the site a layered, contemporary feel.

Experiencing art at the edge of Odense Fjord

The harbour area around the sculpture has transformed from a working dockland into a mixed urban waterfront with paths, seating and recreational spaces. The sculpture feels integrated into this environment: joggers pass by, cyclists roll along the quays, and people pause at the railing to study Andersen’s profile and the play of water around his submerged legs. Because the artwork is outdoors and accessible at all hours, you can experience it in very different moods. On a bright, clear day the bronze gleams against the sky, and you can study the details of his coat, hat and facial expression. At dusk, harbour lights and the glow from the bathing facility reflect off the water, turning the scene into something more atmospheric and almost theatrical.

A small stop on a larger Hans Christian Andersen trail

For anyone tracing Andersen’s footsteps through his native Odense, this harbour piece adds a contemporary, slightly rebellious chapter to the story. Traditional statues of the author in the city’s parks emphasise reverence; here, the emphasis is on dialogue, questioning and playfulness. The fact that the figure stands half in and half out of the water can be read as a metaphor for Andersen himself, poised between reality and fantasy. The site works well as a short stop during a walk along the waterfront or as a detour from visits to Andersen’s museums and other fairy‑tale sculptures scattered across Odense. It does not demand a long stay, but it rewards a few quiet minutes of looking from different angles and thinking about how a familiar cultural icon can be reimagined for a new era.