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Statue of Hans Christian Heg

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Coordinates: 43°04′28.8″N 89°22′56.9″W / 43.074667°N 89.382472°W / 43.074667; -89.382472
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Statue of Hans Christian Heg
The statue in 2013
Map
ArtistPaul Fjelde
Completion date17 October 1926 (1926-10-17) (erected)
Medium
SubjectHans Christian Heg
Dimensions290 cm × 91 cm × 91 cm (9 ft 6 in × 3 ft × 3 ft)
ConditionRestored and reinstated after removal by rioters
LocationMadison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Coordinates43°04′28.8″N 89°22′56.9″W / 43.074667°N 89.382472°W / 43.074667; -89.382472

Hans Christian Heg is a statue by Paul Fjelde that was cast in 1925 and installed at the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, United States in 1926. The bronze statue depicting the Union soldier and abolitionist Hans Christian Heg was torn down by rioters, decapitated and thrown into a lake in June 2020. The Wisconsin state government restored and reinstalled the original statue in September 2021.

Two further casts of the statue were made in 1925: one stands in Heg Memorial Park, in Racine County, Wisconsin, near the Heg family home, and the other in Haugestad, near the family's home town in Norway.

Background

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Hans Christian Heg (1829–1863) was a Norwegian American abolitionist, journalist, anti-slavery activist, politician and soldier. He was born at Haugestad in the community of Lierbyen in Lier, Buskerud, Norway, where his father ran an inn. His family emigrated to the US in 1840, and settled at Muskego Settlement, Wisconsin. After two years as a Forty-Niner in California following the California Gold Rush, Heg returned to settle in Wisconsin.

Heg is best known as the colonel who commanded the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment on the Union side in the American Civil War. He died of the wounds he received at the Battle of Chickamauga. A 10 ft (3.0 m) high pyramid of 8 in (20 cm) shells at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park marks the site on the battlefield where Heg was mortally wounded.

Description

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The bronze sculpture measures approximately 9.5 by 3 by 3 feet (2.90 m × 0.91 m × 0.91 m), and stands on a granite base which measures approximately 6 by 5 by 5 feet (1.8 m × 1.5 m × 1.5 m).[1]

The statue depicts Colonel Heg standing in his Union Army uniform, with a long belted double-breasted dress coat, riding boots, and girt with a sword to his left side. He has a beard and moustache, and is bare headed, with his Hardee hat held in his right hand.

History

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The statue was created in 1925 as a gift of the Norwegian Society of America, which raised funds for its cost. The sculptor was the Norwegian-American Paul Fjelde who, in describing his work said, "The figure that I have created shows a much younger Colonel Heg than his photographs. After all he was a young man, only thirty-three when he died. I tried to regain the spirit of youth which must have been his before the cares of war had aged him beyond his years. I think I have succeeded."[2]

The statue is one of three casts made at the foundry of Ernst Poleszynski[3] in Kristiania, Norway.[4][5] It was shipped in 1925 from Norway on the Norwegian-American Line, arrived in New York on August 21 of that year, and completed the rest of its journey to Madison on September 3. After its arrival, the 2,000 lb (910 kg) crate containing the statue was stored in the northeast pavilion of the Capitol Building. The delay between arrival and dedication lasted for more than a year, and was due to the need to raise some $2,000 to purchase and erect a base for the statue's final home.[6] By joint resolution No., 30, 1925 of the Wisconsin state assembly and senate, the statue was to be "placed in the capitol park at Madison, Wisconsin" in the centennial year of the beginning of Norwegian immigration to the United States.[7]

Two thousand spectators attended the unveiling of the statue on October 17, 1926 at the Wisconsin State Capitol. It was dedicated "in memory of a distinguished citizen and volunteer soldier of the Civil war period."[1][8][9]

Other casts

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A second cast of the statue was erected in Heg Memorial Park, in Racine County, Wisconsin, near the Heg family home, and dedicated in 1928.[10][11][12]

A third cast of the statue was unveiled in 1925, in Haugestad, near his family's home town in Norway.[13][14][15][3]

2020 vandalism

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On June 23, 2020, the statue was vandalized by protesters, incensed by the arrest of a member of Black Lives Matter, as demonstrations in Madison turned violent.[16][17] Vandals used a towing vehicle to pull the statue down. It was then vandalized, decapitated, and thrown into Lake Monona. The words "black is beautiful" were spray-painted on the plinth, just above Heg's name.[18][19][20]

On the morning of June 24, someone painted "Fire Matt Kenny" on the base of the Heg statue.[21] (This was a reference to the 2015 shooting of Tony Robinson; the police officer was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, and is still employed.)[21] Another Capitol Hill statue toppled on the same night, Forward, is of a female figure representing Wisconsin's "Forward" motto.[21] Both statues were later recovered by the authorities, though Heg was said to have lost a leg.[22]

Unlike Confederate statues removed during the George Floyd protests, this statue was of a Union soldier and abolitionist,[23][24] The Associated Press reported that "it seems likely that few Wisconsinites know Heg's biography".[23][24] Protester Micah Le said the two statues paint a picture of Wisconsin as a racially progressive state "even though slavery has continued in the form of a corrections system built around incarcerating Blacks."[21] Two protesters interviewed by the Wisconsin State Journal said that toppling the statues was to draw attention to their view of Wisconsin as being racially unjust.[25] Black student activists had called for the removal of the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in early June 2020, and repeated those calls after Heg's statue was toppled.[26][27]

In an internal memo obtained by The Nation, the toppling of the statue was listed as one of the contributing factors in creating the federal riot control program Protecting American Communities Task Force.[20]

In light of legislative attention from within Wisconsin[28] as well as both chambers of the U.S. Congress,[29][30] and amid public calls[31][32][33] for the statue to be restored, the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board (SCERB) on July 20, 2020 voted unanimously to repair the Colonel Heg and Forward statues. As of that date, the Wisconsin Department of Administration was still compiling a cost estimate, and the Wisconsin Historical Society planned to start a fundraising drive[34] to raise $50,000 to offset the insurance deductible. The SCERB signed off on that effort unanimously as well.[35] At the time of the vote, the head and the spur of the right boot of the statue were still missing, and photographs of the statue showed the left leg as still removed as well.[36][37] The Wisconsin State Department of Administration planned to build a new head by recasting the head of a similar Heg statue near the town of Norway, Wisconsin.[38] The state of Wisconsin received a grant of $30,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities the following October towards the expense of repairing of both the Heg and Forward statues. The statues were taken to Detroit for restoration by Venus Bronze Works Inc. with reinstallation on the Capitol grounds then anticipated by July 2021.[39][40]

On June 25, 2020, in response to the vandalism, U.S. Representative Bryan Steil introduced a bill to rename Muskego's post office for Heg, though it was never acted on during the remainder of the 116th United States Congressional session and has not been re-introduced.[41][42]

The police charged Rodney A. Clendening of Beloit with felony theft of Heg's head in January 2021. According to the complaint, a city street camera captured Clendening on the night of the vandalism with two other men at the Heg plinth and carrying Heg’s head. One of the men put the head into the trunk of Clendening's car.[43] In a Madison Court on December 7, 2021, Marquon Clark pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal damage to property; namely that he helped pull down the Forward and Hans Christian Heg statues on the Capitol square June 23, 2020, contributing to between $60,000 and $95,000 in damage. He was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by two years of extended supervision.[44] The plea agreement also involved returning the statue head which is being stored in the State Archive Preservation Facility.[45]

Restoration

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On September 21, 2021, the statue was restored and added back to its pedestal at its original location, with a duplicate head copied from a version of the statue in Norway as a model.[46] The statue was rededicated on Memorial Day, May 29, 2022 in a ceremony "based on a memorial dedication service from 1917 by the Grand Army of the Republic, which was the largest group of Union Civil War veterans at the time. The successors of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, will be involved in the event. Officials from the Madison Veterans Council and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum will also be on hand, and descendants of Col. Heg will also be flying in from across the country for the ceremony."[47][48]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Hans Christian Heg, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  2. ^ Colbo, Ella Stratton (1975). Historic Heg Memorial Park: photographic views and brief historical sketches of the outstanding points of interest in and about Heg Memorial Park, Racine County, Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries: The State of Wisconsin Collection: Racine County Historical Society. p. 30. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Hans Heggs [sic] Minde". Nordisk Tidende. July 23, 1925. p. 2. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "Hans C Heg - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  5. ^ "Avsløringen av oberst Hegg [sic] - monumentet i Lier". Haugesunds Dagblad. No. 144. June 25, 1925. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  6. ^ "Statue of Col. Hans Heg Now in Capitol Building". Wisconsin State Journal. September 10, 1925. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Wisconsin Session Laws - Including All the Acts and Certain Resolutions and Joint Resolutions - Passed by the Biennial Session of the Legislature, 1925 (PDF). Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Company, state printer. 1925. pp. 703–704.
  8. ^ "Photos: So who was Hans Christian Heg? Here's why the Civil War hero had a statue". La Crosse Tribune. June 25, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  9. ^ "Hans Christian Heg, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  10. ^ "Wisconsin's Civil War Memorials; Town of Norway, Racine County". Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Department of Wisconsin. June 5, 2018. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  11. ^ "Colonel Heg Memorial Park". Racine County Parks Department. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "Colonel Hans Christian Heg, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "Oberst Hegs oldebarn til Lier". Drammens Tidende (in Norwegian). June 23, 2000. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  14. ^ "Statuen av Oberst Hans Christian Heg på Haugestad". Lier kommune (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  15. ^ "Colonel Heg, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  16. ^ Chiu, Allyson (June 24, 2020). "Wisconsin state senator attacked by protesters as demonstrations in Madison turn violent". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Viviani, Nick; Purser, Allie. "Protesters topple Forward statue and Heg statue". WMTV (www.nbc15.com). Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  18. ^ Langrehr, Jaymes (June 24, 2020). "Protesters explain why they tore down statues at State Capitol". www.channel3000.com. Channel 3000. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  19. ^ Beck, Molly. "Madison protesters tear down Capitol statues, attack state Senator from Milwaukee". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Muerhoff, Mason. "Toppling of Heg statue in Madison, among others, prompted federal crackdown on protests: report". Madison365. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  21. ^ a b c d Bauer, Scott (June 24, 2020), "Wisconsin governor activates National Guard after crowds tear down statues outside Capitol, including one of anti-slavery activist, and attack state senator", Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, archived from the original on July 3, 2020, retrieved July 3, 2020
  22. ^ Pavia, Will (June 25, 2020). "Statue of Colonel Hans Christian Heg, who helped defeat slavery, is toppled". The Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  23. ^ a b Foody, Kathleen (June 24, 2020). "Targeted sculptures linked to Wisconsin, Civil War history". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  24. ^ a b "Anti-racism protesters mistakenly topple statue of US anti-slavery leader Heg, Charleston's Calhoun statue removed after 16 hours". ABC News. June 25, 2020. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  25. ^ Meyerhofer, Kelly (June 25, 2020). "'Strategic' or 'misguided'? Toppling of statues sparks latest debate on Madison protests". The Wisconsin State Journal/madison.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  26. ^ Meyerhofer, Kelly (July 1, 2020). "University of Wisconsin students call for removal of Abraham Lincoln statue on Madison campus". The Wisconsin State Journal/MSN News. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  27. ^ Reid, Amy (June 25, 2020), "UW-Madison students call for removal of Lincoln statue, 'Just because he was anti-slavery doesn't mean he was pro-Black'", Channel 3000, archived from the original on July 3, 2020, retrieved July 3, 2020
  28. ^ Siewert, Shereen (July 16, 2020). "Wisconsin duo wants stiffer penalties for wrecking statues". Wausau Pilot & Review. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  29. ^ Lee, Mike (July 2, 2020). "S.Res.645 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that mob violence should be condemned". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  30. ^ "Congressional Record: PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION" (PDF). Congress.gov. June 25, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  31. ^ board, Wisconsin State Journal editorial (June 26, 2020). "EDITORIAL: Stop the senseless violence Downtown, and put the statues back up". Wiscnews.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  32. ^ Stephens, Bret (June 27, 2020). "Opinion | After the Statues Fall". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  33. ^ Richmond, Todd (July 13, 2020). "Wisconsin abolitionist's descendants want statue restored". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  34. ^ "Statue Restoration Fund". Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  35. ^ Richmond, Todd (July 20, 2020). "Board OKs restoring Capitol statues, launching money drive". The Star Tribune. Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  36. ^ Beck, Molly (July 21, 2020). "State officials can't find Col. Hans Christian Heg's head, will make him a new one". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  37. ^ Vetterkind, Riley (July 27, 2020). "Board approves restoration, re-installation of Capitol square statues torn down by demonstrators". La Crosse Tribune. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  38. ^ Richmond, Todd (July 20, 2020). "Wisconsin Capitol board agrees to restore 2 statues toppled by protesters". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  39. ^ Jones, Meg; Beck, Molly (October 16, 2020). "Wisconsin gets federal funds to help restore vandalized Capitol statues Forward and Hans Christian Heg | The National Endowment for the Humanities". The National Endowment for the Humanities. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  40. ^ Glauber, Bill (December 10, 2020). "Crew works to restore toppled statue of Col. Hans Christian Heg by next summer". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  41. ^ Andrea, Lawrence. "Congressman proposes naming Wisconsin post office after abolitionist Hans Christian Heg, whose Madison statue was destroyed". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  42. ^ Steil, Bryan (June 25, 2020). "Cosponsors - H.R.7329 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at S74w16860 Janesville Road, in Muskego, Wisconsin, as the "Colonel Hans Christian Heg Post Office"". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  43. ^ TRELEVEN, ED (January 8, 2021). "Beloit man charged for taking head of Colonel Hans Christian Heg statue during Madison protests". Journal Times. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  44. ^ Rehm, Sierra. "Man pleads guilty to vandalizing downtown Madison statues in 2020". WKOW. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  45. ^ Galli, Tony (September 20, 2023). "Head of Civil War hero statue to be stored by state and not exhibited". WKOW. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  46. ^ "Workers reinstall Wisconsin statues downed in 2020 protest". AP NEWS. September 21, 2021. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  47. ^ Langrehr, Jaymes (April 11, 2022). "Statue of Col. Hans Christian Heg outside state capitol to be rededicated in May". Madison Magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  48. ^ Aarsvold, Marcus (May 30, 2022). "Colonel Heg descendants re-dedicate Civil War hero statue to the people of Wisconsin". www.weau.com. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
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