Halabardnik

Story

Halabardnik is a proud little guard who keeps watch at Sukiennice 12, right beside the Old Town Hall, with a halberd in his hand. He wears the outfit of a medieval city guard, and legend says he has never left his post, not even when it rains. Nobody enters the dwarf quarter of the Market Square without being politely inspected by him. Look for his tall pole-axe and his sturdy stance, and salute him like a true soldier.

History & Significance

Halabardnik was made by sculptor Marcin Łuczkowski and appeared on 15 January 2008 at Sukiennice 12. He is also known as Strażnik, which simply means the Guard. A halberd is the long-handled weapon carried by guards in the Middle Ages, and the dwarf shows the kind of watchman who once patrolled the Old Town. He belongs to the tradition that began with the Orange Alternative, the 1980s protest movement whose members painted dwarfs on city walls, and today Wrocław counts well over 800 bronze dwarfs.

Inspiration

Halabardnik is a tribute to the city guards who protected medieval Wrocław. The city was a rich trading town, and its Old Town Hall was the heart of the city government, which needed watchmen to keep order. The halberd, a mix of spear and axe, was their everyday tool. His name simply means 'the halberdier'. He stands next to the building where the city's decisions were once made, so he is in exactly the right place.

Fun Facts

• A halberd is a long pole with an axe blade and a spear point, a favourite weapon of medieval guards.
• He is also called Strażnik, which simply means the Guard.
• Marcin Łuczkowski, who sculpted him, also made Życzliwek.
• Pomagajek is just 16 metres to the west, so the guard and the helper are neighbours.
• Another dwarf, Bartonik, stands only about 13 metres to the north-east.

How to Find This Dwarf

Walk to the south side of the Old Town Hall and look for Sukiennice 12, about 30 metres south-east of the Town Hall's centre. Halabardnik stands there, close to the Krasnal Info point. Pomagajek is only 16 metres to the west and Bartonik about 13 metres to the north-east. Your mission: stand as still as a guard for ten seconds with an imaginary halberd, and whoever wobbles first has to salute the winner.

Nearby Dwarfs

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessibility

Outdoor

He keeps watch at the entrance at Sukiennice 12, so look at the doorway and the wall around it. The surface is the cobblestone pavement of the Market Square, and the exact height has not been checked on site.