Wrocław's Gnomes

They are everywhere in Wrocław. Like a miniature army they dot the city’s doorways, alleys and street corners. You may well overlook the first dozen or so that cross your path, but inevitably – and often literally - you will stumble upon them. They are knee-high; they are adorable; and in the city centre they are simply ubiquitous. Surprisingly, one of Wrocław’s most popular, memorable and iconic attractions is not a cathedral, not a castle or monument, but a legion of little people: Gnomes, to be precise. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk about town and you’re bound to notice the little fellas engaged in a variety of activities – from guarding public space to passed-out drunk. Beloved by local residents and tourists alike and the object of more photos than the towering Cathedral, these mini-men have become the unlikely symbol of this picturesque Polish city.

The gnomes - individually called Krasnoludek (or Krasnale) in Polish - are mythological dwarf-like creatures that were common in medieval European folktales and literature. They are invariably represented as miniature male humans, often with little potbellies, big round noses, long beards and pointy red hats. The original word, krasnoludek, appears to be an amalgamation of Russian ‘красный’ (krasny - red) and Polish ‘ludek’ (small person or human-like creature).

Gnomes have a long history in Polish folklore, but their current iconic incarnation in Wrocław began in the 1980s. Under communism gnomes became the absurdist calling card of the 'Orange Alternative' movement – an underground protest movement that used absurdity and nonsense to stage peaceful, yet subversive protests. Led by Waldemar ‘Major’ Fydrych, an artist and art history student at Wrocław University, the Orange Alternative wasn’t interested in political ideology as much as buffoonery. During communism, any anti-establishment graffiti or public art was quickly painted over by the militia; upon seeing fresh daubs of paint, the pranksters of the Orange Alternative painted over them again with...gnomes. From there gnomes became inexorably linked with the Orange Alternative and Wrocław, though they began appearing in other major cities in Poland as well. Detained in a Łódz police station for graffiti, Major Fydrych was happy to explain the gnomes to state authorities in academic terms: “The thesis is the anti-regime slogan. The anti-thesis is the spot and the synthesis is the gnome.” Spoken like a true art history student. As the Orange Alternative graduated to more happenings, gnomes began to appear in demonstrations as well. International Children’s Day on June 1, 1988, was celebrated in Wrocław by dozens of locals dressed as gnomes and smurfs, complete with red hats and handkerchiefs, while an anti-Chernobyl protest saw Major Fydrych handing out gnome-like headwear to passing pedestrians. As communism and anti-communism faded away in the 1990’s, the gnomes remained a symbol of Wrocław.

The first gnome in its modern statuette form was Papa Krasnal who was placed in 2001 on the corner of ul. Świdnicka and ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego (A-4), near the subway where Orange Alternative demonstrations often took place. It was commissioned by Agora (the publisher of Gazeta Wyborcza) to celebrate the history of the Orange Alternative. Things really took off in 2005 when local artist Tomasz Moczek - a graduate from the Wrocław Academy of Fine Arts – created five gnomes. Commissioned by the Wrocław City Council, that original quintet consisted of: Szermierz (B-2), located in Pl. Uniwersytecki, the subway station under the Wrocław University, (Unfortunately Szermierz disappeared 3 years ago), Rzeźnik (A-2), on ul. Jatki, Syzyfki (B-3), two gnomes on ul. Świdnicka, next to the Post Office, and Pracz Odrzański (the name refers to one of Wrocław’s suburbs - Pracze Odrzańskie and is wordplay - “pracz” in Polish means “washer”); the little guy is near Piaskowy Bridge (C-2) washing something in Odra river.

They soon proved so popular that envious local businesses got in on the game contracting other artists to produce more. In almost no time at all the little devils have proliferated to the point that now we’re not certain exactly how many there are. They are rumoured to be running rampant to the score of nearly 180. On June 18, 2008 the city unveiled another set of gnomes – one blind (Niewidomy), one deaf-mute (Głuchoniemy), and one in a wheelchair (A-3), near the entrance to the Town Hall. They represent the “Wrocław bez barier” programme which endeavours to raise awareness for the disabled community of Wrocław.

All the little statues depict the gnomes engaged in various activities, often reflecting their particular locations. One of the most popular gnomes is Życzliwek (Well-Wisher Dwarf) located on the Rynek next to the fountain, on Pl. Gołębi, (A-3). November 21st – The Day of Kindness (and Well-Wisher's festival) - is his official holiday, and he’s even got his very own blog and Facebook page. Other popular gnomes are: Śpioch (A-3), on ul. Św. Mikołaja on the back of Jaś tenement house, Więziennik (B-2), on ul. Więzienna, on the parapet of the old prison building, and of course Papa Krasnal (A-4), on the corner of ul. Świdnicka and ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego. Costing about 4,000zł apiece, each work has become embedded in the hearts of the locals and has a GPS device embedded in its heart - a necessary precaution after one of the beloved buggers (Rzeźnik) disappeared from its post on ul. Jatki a few years ago. He has since been recovered and is back on display.

Today’s Wrocław gnomes are still a playful tribute to the Orange Alternative without the politics. Not that it was ever about politics anyway. The gnomes are not confined to the city centre, so it isn’t really possible to find them all on your own (although trying to do so can be a fun alternative to regular sight-seeing). For an easier way to track them down, the local tourist office - located at Rynek 14 (A-3) - has produced a map showing where the 30 most central ones are located. There is also a special, dual-language (Polish and English) website dedicated to Wrocław’s gnomes - www.krasnale.pl – where you can find their history, photos and useful information along with downloadable maps with gnome locations throughout the city. Spend an afternoon as a gnome-hunter and see how many of the mischievous miscreants you can spot as you stroll around the city. Happy hunting.