First-ever Wikipedia Monument unveiled in Poland

Monument in Słubice, Poland honors free knowledge and human collaboration

Wikimedians -- the editors, creators, and contributors behind the free encyclopedia Wikipedia -- were honored today with the unveiling of a monument in Słubice, Poland. The monument, which is the first of its kind, is a celebration of the power of free knowledge and human collaboration.

The monument, designed by Armenian sculptor Mihran Hakobyan, depicts the Wikipedia globe held aloft by four figures. As in the original, the Wikipedia globe remains unfinished, as a testament to the ever-expanding realm of human knowledge. The idea to create a monument came from Dr. Krzysztof Wojciechowski, the director of Collegium Polonicum, and was brought to fruition through the support of Tomasz Ciszewicz, the mayor of Słubice.

"On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, thank you for this remarkable recognition. We hope this will be an enduring reminder of the importance of free knowledge. It is humbling for all of us to be a part of something so much larger than any one person." said Lila Tretikov, Executive Director, Wikimedia Foundation.

Wikipedia is the largest collection of free knowledge ever assembled, including more than 33 million articles in 287 languages. Together, Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects are the world’s 5th most visited website, with nearly half a billion monthly visitors and roughly 80,000 active volunteers contributing every month.

“When Wikipedia started back in 2001 I have to say that I never imagined a day when Wikipedia would be honored with a monument - we write about them, we photograph them with our Wiki Loves Monuments competition, and now we have a monument of our own. It is a truly special and exciting day, and one that I hope shines the spotlight on the thousands of Wikimedians who edit Wikipedia and make it the source of free knowledge it has come to be. I look forward to visiting Słubice one day to see the monument for myself and perhaps meeting some of those involved in the project.” said Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia.

Guests attending the unveiling ceremony included representatives of Wikimedia Poland, Wikimedia Deutschland, and the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

https://wikimediafoundation.org

https://blog.wikimedia.org/

The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Across its 287 language versions, Wikipedia contains more than 33 million articles. Every month, roughly 80,000 active volunteers contribute to Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. According to comScore Media Metrix, the projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive 413 million unique visitors per month on desktop alone, making them the fifth-most popular web property worldwide (July 2014). Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.

Wikimedia Foundation Press Contact

Katherine Maher