The Statue of Liberty in Colmar, hometown of its creator Auguste Bartholdi
1886–2026: Liberty Enlightening the World for 140 years
Why is there a Statue of Liberty in Colmar, France?
Hi, I’m Roseline, your local guide! I was born in Colmar, and I’m going to explain why there’s such an imposing statue at the entrance to the city.
Colmar’s Lady Liberty will hold no more secrets for you!
While the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is Auguste Bartholdi’s tribute to the centennial of the Independence of the United States of America,
the Statue of Liberty in Colmar pays tribute to a native son of the town,
one of the greatest sculptors of the 19th century.
"The guy who made it is from this town, Colmar!
Frédéric, thank you for the Statue of Liberty."
Eva LONGORIA in Colmar, July 2025
Thus, in 2004, to commemorate the centennial of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s death in 1904, the municipality of Colmar in Alsace, France decided to install a replica of the statue (which the childless man Bartholdi, often called his « daughter ») at the northern entrance to the city.
The sculptor Guillaume Roche from Savigny-Le-Temple (close to Paris) was commissioned to create a reproduction, with the aim of producing the world’s largest authentic copy of Liberty Enlightening the World.
This replica is created from a faithful cast of the original 1.28-meter terracotta model held by the Bartholdi Museum in Colmar. The initial reproduction was scaled up to 3 meters using a three-dimensional pantograph (a technique used by Bartholdi himself and popularized by Rodin) to create 3D enlargements in modeling clay. Subsequently, a final enlargement was produced to increase the height from 3 to 12 meters.
Like its 46-meter-high « big sister » in New York, the Statue of Liberty in Colmar is built around an Eiffel-style metal framework, but its outer shell is made of laminated resin with a green-copper patina finish.
The statue’s orientation was the subject of much debate. Ultimately, it was decided that its face would look toward Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace.
As an interesting aside, the face of the original Statue of Liberty is said to have been inspired by that of the sculptor’s beloved mother, Augusta Charlotte Bartholdi, maiden name Beysser. A claim Auguste Bartholdi neither confirmed nor denied !
Colmar’s Statue of Liberty was installed on June 27, 2004, on Route de Strasbourg
(now renamed Avenue Gilbert Meyer).
Finally, Miss Liberty was inaugurated in Colmar on July 4, 2004, (the anniversary of U.S. Independence Day) in the distinguished presence of French First Lady Bernadette Chirac, opera singer Jessye Norman, the U.S. Consul General Christopher R. Davis, and the Deputy Mayor of Colmar, Gilbert Meyer.
“The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World is, without a doubt, the undisputed masterpiece of this native son of Colmar.
A masterpiece whose universal significance is well established, as it has come to symbolize the American dream and the aspiration for freedom for generations of immigrants arriving by ship in New York.
It was therefore only natural that, after Paris, Colmar in turn would welcome its own Statue of Liberty, affectionately known as "Miss Liberté".
Official speech by Madame Jacques Chirac at the Colmar’s Statue of Liberty inauguration
Colmar's Statue of Liberty by the Numbers:
- 12 meters by torchlight.
- An average circumference of 10 meters.
- 3 metric tons
- 1,000 dress pleats
- 12,000 work hours
- 9 months of work
- Cost: 300,000 euros
Want to learn more in Colmar about Bartholdi, father of the Statue of Liberty?
Bartholdi Museum: The birth home and childhood home of Auguste Bartholdi.
Bartholdi Museum: 30 rue des Marchands 68000 COLMAR
Since 1922, the birthplace of Frédéric Auguste BARTHOLDI is a museum dedicated to his works, including the Statue of Liberty project. The Colmar museum holds the oldest recorded model of the Statue of Liberty. It is a small terracotta figurine dating from 1870.
On the ground floor, be sure to take a look at the most intimate and moving of his private works. This 96-centimeter-high statue, called The Little Alsatian Girl with the tricolor bouquet never left the artist’s studio; Bartholdi never exhibited it.
It depicts a melancholy young Alsatian girl holding cornflowers, daisies, and poppies (reflecting the colors of the French flag) in her apron. Created in 1883, this terracotta statue symbolizes the profound grief Bartholdi felt over the loss of his « little homeland » (as he called Alsace) following the Franco-Prussian War.
In the footsteps of Bartholdi in Colmar's Old Town:
Follow the signs through the cobblestone streets of Old Colmar and discover Bartholdi’s creations that he donated to the municipality and that adorn his hometown such as The Young Alsatian Winegrower, or Schwendi Fountain.
Bartholdi Monument:
Parc du Château d’eau – At the corner of Poincaré and Joffre Avenues 68000 COLMAR
In the Colmar water tower park, you can admire the bronze monument to Auguste Bartholdi, designed by Hubert Louis-Noël, a disciple of Bartholdi. It was inaugurated in 1907 in the presence of the artist’s discreet widow, Jeanne-Emilie Bartholdi. She was the one who donated her late husband’s childhood home to the city of Colmar so that it could be turned into a museum in his memory.
Admire the beautiful signs by Hansi, Colmar's other famous artist
Crazy about chocolate? Discover Choco Story Colmar.
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Merci pour ces explications rares sur la Miss Liberty colmarienne. Un ancien étudiant colmarien.
Merci à l’ancien étudiant colmarien! J’espère que cet article répondra au mieux aux touristes qui s’interrogent sur la raison de la présence d’une Statue de la Liberté géante à Colmar.