The Gnomes of Wrocław

Here are some pictures taken during our two days in Wrocław of some of the many gnomes of Wrocław. These are little bronze figurines that are all over the old part of town. The tradition has its roots in absurdist street art during Communist times. In 2001, a monument of a dwarf was placed on Świdnicka Street to commemorate the Orange Alternative, a Polish anti-communist movement, and its symbol, a dwarf. In 2003, the mayor of Wrocław, in an attempt to continue the new tradition, unveiled a small plaque on the door of The Dwarves’ Museum. It is found at knee height on the wall of a historic tenement called Jaś, which is situated between the Market Square and St. Elizabeth’s Church. The dwarf figures, which are smaller than the Orange Alternative monument on Świdnicka Street, were placed in various locations throughout the city. The first five, designed by Tomasz Moczek, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, were installed in August 2005. The number of figures has continued to grow since then. Currently, there are estimated to be over 600 of them, but the number keeps growing. You can read more about them here.

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