Johannes Hevelius or Jan Heweliusz (1611-1687) depending on whether you're talking to a German or a Pole was a 17th century astonomer, brewer and former mayor of Gdańsk. This statue was designed by Jan Szczypka and unveiled on January 28th 2006, the 395th anniversary of his birth. Hevelius is widely regarded as the last great astronomer to work without lenses and instead made many of his discoveries using a quadrant and alidade. Among discoveries credited to him are four comets and the Scutum Sobiescianum (Sobieski's shield) constellation, named in honour of the Polish king Jan III Sobieski's victory against the Ottoman empire at Vienna. Hevelius died on his 76th birthday and is buried in the nearby St Catherine's Church.