Colmar's Little Liberty

Colmar's Statue of Liberty, a 12-meter-high replica, welcomes visitors to the city, mirroring its grander counterpart in New York Harbor. This resin statue, inaugurated on July 4, 2004, commemorates the centennial of the death of Auguste Bartholdi, the Colmar native who designed the iconic American monument. Bartholdi's obsession with liberty stemmed from his experience of Alsace being taken over by Germany in 1871, making him understand the importance of freedom. The statue symbolizes the enduring bond between Colmar and the United States, further cemented by the twinning agreement between Colmar and Princeton, New Jersey, in 1986. The statue's construction involved artists Guillaume Roche, Pascal Bigel, and Jean-Christophe Mironneau. It is made of resin tinted to resemble patinated copper and reinforced with a metal frame using the Gustave Eiffel process, similar to the original. Located at a roundabout at the northern entrance to Colmar on Route de Strasbourg, the statue serves as a tribute to Bartholdi and his most famous creation. While not as grand as the New York statue, Colmar's replica embodies the same ideals of freedom, tolerance, and openness. Visitors can also explore the Bartholdi Museum in Colmar's city center, which houses original sketches and artifacts related to the Statue of Liberty.