Wrocław Dwarfs

Wrocław Dwarves or Wrocław Gnomes (Polish: Wrocławskie krasnale) are small figurines (20–30 cm) that have appeared in the streets of Wrocław, Poland since 2005. The dwarves are a major tourist attraction for the city, which is the third largest in Poland.^[1] Tourists often walk around the city with a map trying to find all of them.

Wrocław's first dwarf was Papa Dwarf standing on the tip of a human finger. It honors the Orange Alternative.

As of 2024, there were over 800 dwarves in the city. Six of them are located outside the city at the LG plant in Biskupice Podgórne.

History

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. 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. These included the Fencer near the University of Wrocław, the Butcher in Stare Jatki arcade, two Sisyphuses on Świdnicka Street, and the Oder-Washer-Dwarf, near the Piasek Bridge. The last dwarf's name is related to Pracze Odrzańskie, a district on the outskirts of the city. The number of figures has continued to grow since then.

On June 18, 2008, a ceremony was held to unveil two new dwarves on Świdnicka Street, next to W-skers. The figures represent two disabled dwarves: the Deaf-Mute and the Blind. They are part of the Wrocław Without Barriers campaign, which aims to draw attention to handicapped people living in Wrocław. Five days later, another dwarf was erected at the Hematology and Pediatric Oncology Clinic in Wrocław. The design for this third female dwarf, Marzenka, was based on the logo of the Mam marzenie charity.^[2]

The Dwarves' Festival takes place in Wrocław every year in September.^[3]