Roman Dmowski Monument, Warsaw

The Roman Dmowski Monument in Warsaw (Polish: Pomnik Romana Dmowskiego w Warszawie) is a bronze statue, 5 meters (16 feet) tall, of Polish politician Roman Dmowski in Warsaw, on Na Rozdrożu Square at the intersection of Szuch and Ujazdów Avenues.[1] It was unveiled on 10 November 2006.[1] The statue holds a copy of the Treaty of Versailles[2] and carries a quotation from Dmowski's book: "I am a Pole, so I have Polish duties..." ("Jestem Polakiem więc mam obowiązki polskie...").[1] The monument has been controversial.[3]

Roman Dmowski Monument

Pomnik Romana Dmowskiego w Warszawie
Roman Dmowski Monument (2022)
52°13′6.7″N 21°01′30.1″E
Location	Na Rozdrożu Square, at the intersection of Szuch Avenue and Ujazdów Avenue, Warsaw, Poland
Designer	Wojciech Mendzelewski, Maria Marek-Prus, Piotr Prus
Type	Statue
Material	Bronze
Height	5 metres (16 ft)
Completion date	10 November 2006
Dedicated to	Roman Dmowski

Its construction was the result of an initiative supported by politicians Maciej Giertych, Bogusław Kowalski, and Jędrzej Dmowski.[4] The monument, sponsored by the Warsaw municipal council, cost the Polish government about 500,000 zlotys.[4] The unveiling ceremony was attended by some 200 people, including politicians Maciej Giertych, Artur Zawisza, and Wojciech Wierzejski, and by Father Henryk Jankowski, who consecrated the monument.[4]

The monument's location, near the offices of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Szuch Avenue, relates to Dmowski's 1923 three-month tenure as Poland's minister of foreign affairs.[3]

Dmowski was the chief ideologue of Polish right-wing nationalism[4][5] and has been called "the father of Polish nationalism."[6][7] He is seen as a principal figure in the restoration of Polish independence after World War I, and was a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles.[8][9]

The monument has been called "one of the most controversial monuments in Warsaw"[3] and has led to protests from organisations which see Dmowski as a fascist opponent of tolerance; conversely, it has been a rallying icon for Polish right-wing nationalists (narodowcy).[4][10][11][12] Due to the controversies and protests, plans to raise statues or memorials to Dmowski elsewhere have generally been deferred.[13] Prominent critics of the monument have included Marek Edelman, a leader of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising; literary critic and theoretician Professor Maria Janion; and historian and sociologist Alina Cała.[4][14] Its notable defenders have included historian Jan Żaryn[15] and historian and politician Tomasz Nałęcz, who have emphasized Dmowski's important role in restoring Poland's independence.[2]