The Little Mermaid in Tivoli

Even though the Little Mermaid will be at the world Expo 2010 in Shanghai you will still be able to see her in Denmark...

An original sister to the world famous sculpture will be sitting in the Tivoli Lake, Copenhagen from 16 April 2010 until the autumn holidays in week 42 of 2010.

It is the descendents of Edvard Eriksen, the sculptor of the world famous attraction, who have made a personal family copy of the Little Mermaid available for visitors to Tivoli. In this way, everyone interested in seeing the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen can still do so, even though the Mermaid from Langelinie is away on an adventure in China.

- We are proud and pleased that the descendants of Edvard Eriksen, one of Denmark's most outstanding artists, have leant Tivoli a piece of invaluable cultural history. The family has made it available because of the desire that everyone should still have the opportunity to see the Little Mermaid as close up as possible while her 'sister' is representing Denmark at the World Expo in China. I think it is a delightful gesture, and we are honoured that it is visitors to Tivoli who will have this unique experience in the summer of 2010, says Lars Liebst, the CEO of Tivoli.

- In the family we decided that Danes and tourists in Copenhagen should still have the opportunity to see the Little Mermaid while the Mermaid from Langelinie is in China. We chose Tivoli because of the fairy-tale magic the Gardens have, and I'm sure that my grandmother, who was the original model that my grandfather used when he created the Little Mermaid, would have chosen this location while the Mermaid from Langelinie is in Shanghai, says Alice Eriksen, grand-daughter of the sculptor.

The Little Mermaid at Langelinie is a world-famous attraction. It illustrates the H.C. Andersen fairy tale of the same name. The Little Mermaid was a gift to Copenhagen donated by brewer Carl Jacobsen and sculpted by the sculptor Edvard Eriksen. Edvard Eriksen used his wife, Eline Eriksen, as the model.

The Little Mermaid was put on permanent display at Langelinie on 23 August 1913, and every year on her birthday she gets a visit from a number of mermaids in bikinis who jump into the water in her honour.

From 1 May 2010, she can be seen at the World Expo in China. The copy belonging to the sculptor's descendants can be seen in the Tivoli Lake from 16 April until the original Mermaid returns to Langelinie in December 2010. The Little Mermaid in Tivoli will then be returned to the family.

Read more about Tivoli at www.tivoligardens.com and download photos at: www.tivoli.dk/foto