Heg statue raised up once again
Grants, insurance, and donations cover repair costs
Photo: Corey Coyle / Wikimedia Commons
Hans Christian Heg was a Norwegian-American journalist, anti-slavery activist, and politician.
LORI ANN REINHALL
Editor-in-chief
The Norwegian American
On Sept. 20, a statue honoring Col. Hans Christian Heg, a Norwegian-American Civil War abolitionist, was restored to its place on Capitol Square in Madison, Wis. At the same time, the “Forward” was also re-erected.
Both statues were toppled on June 21, 2020, after following a day of demonstrations following the arrest of a Black man, Devonere Johnson, at a nearby restaurant.
The restoration work took nearly a year to complete. The total cost exceeded $80,000, with $60,000 covered by grants from the National Endowment of the Arts and National Endowment of Humanities. The remainder was covered by insurance and donations to the Wisconsin State Historical Society.
This article originally appeared in the Oct. 8, 2021, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
