130 years ago, the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York

New York/Prague - More than a year after this gift from the French to the American people arrived in the USA, on October 28, 1886, American President Grover Cleveland unveiled the Statue of Liberty. Americans received it with a ten-year delay to mark the centennial of their state, which fell in 1876. The monument was completed only through the combined efforts of the French and Americans - money for its construction was raised on both sides of the Atlantic through public collections, benefit concerts, auctions, and lotteries.

The monumental work of sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, which he worked on for over 21 years, is today one of the most famous sculptures in the world and among the most visited tourist attractions in the USA. The over 46-meter tall figure of a woman with a radiant crown and a torch has been one of the best-known symbols of the United States for decades. However, in the early years, it also found a very practical use. The torch of the statue, located on an island at the entrance to New York Harbor on a pedestal 47 meters high, served as a lighthouse.