Count Steer wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2026 6:07 am
Taipan wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2026 10:37 pm
In Sweden, there is a fascinating statue of a woman named Danuta Danielsson who became a hero in 1985 when she used her purse to clobber a white Nazi supremacist while he marched in a right-wing rally.
What makes her statue unique among hero statues is that it captures her performing the heroic act of swinging her purse. It’s entirely an action-shot, a big departure from the universal practice of constructing hero statues intended to portray individuals as heroes. Danielsson’s statue isn’t about her as a person; it’s about her one specific act of courage that day. Her mother had survived a concentration camp during World War II. Danielsson knew the horrors of the Nazi menace and took action on that April day in Sweden.
Full Article:
https://blog.richmond.edu/heroes/2020/0 ... c-actions/
Purse? That's a handbag!
(Excellent statue though.
).
I think the yanks call it a purse ??
I do so love this picture. My Grannie was a NI Protestant, born in the very early 1900's, father was a policeman and she saw some of the early 'troubles' (normally The Troubles are considered to be from 66 or 67 I think, but the "early Troubles" were in the 20's). One of the notable things I was told was that she was sent to the police station with a message for her father and arrived as someone shot another (or some other) police on the steps of the station
Anyway, when my Grandpop died, my BDad helped Grannie find a place in London near (ish) to some of the places they used to moor their yacht in the winter, Harrods, her corner shop (!!), was just a short bus ride away!!
She could often be found walking in various parks (very active lady, they'd lived on a yacht (1912 lifeboat converted to a two mast yacht) and sailed it cross channel all summer for 25 years) - some time after the Hyde Park bombing by the IRA she was walking through the park and some collectors from the IRA came up to her rattling their collection tins at her. She tried to walk past and ignore them but they "insisted"
My Grannie carried a handbag very like the one in the photo and damn it was heavy. After trying to ignore them, she basically set about them with her handbag and hit them both around theirs heads!!
They called over a policeman to make a complaint and the policeman said "sorry gentlemen, I didn't see anything but I think I'll just escort this lady to where she was going and you will leave her alone"
I bloody love this story! My Grannie was a scary tough lady, took no shit from anyone !! Seeing this photo of the statue totally makes me think of her and I'm grinning widely
)
