Kolejarz z Kolejką

Story

Kolejarz z Kolejką, the Railwayman with a Little Train, keeps watch in Brochów. He is a stern, long-bearded dwarf in a tall pointed hat topped with a railwayman's peaked cap, and the pocket of his uniform jacket carries the letter K. In front of him sits a small railway wagon, and beside it a rough, reddish lump that may be a stone or a piece of coal. He stands against pale stone cladding with pebbles at his feet, close to ul. Biegła, and he is not alone: another dwarf, Kolejarz Brochowski, stands only a few metres away.

History & Significance

The dwarf was made by sculptor Beata Zwolańska-Hołod and appeared on 2 July 2014, according to wromap.pl and OpenStreetMap, which also lists the alternative name Kolejarz Brochowski 2. Polish Wikipedia lists a pair called Kolejarze Brochowscy (the Brochów Railwaymen) by the same sculptor, at Biegła 2 with a church named in the same entry, while wromap.pl gives the address Biegła 3, so sources disagree on the building number. Wrocław's bronze dwarfs trace back to the Orange Alternative, a playful protest movement of the 1980s whose members painted dwarfs on city walls. Since the early 2000s the city has filled its streets with bronze dwarfs, and there are now hundreds of them, many in the quieter districts far from the Market Square.

Inspiration

The railwayman's cap, the uniform with a K on the pocket and the small railway wagon in front of him show that the dwarf honours railway work. Another dwarf in the same district, Semaforek, also has a railway name. No source we found names the person or company that commissioned him.

Fun Facts

• He was made by Beata Zwolańska-Hołod and appeared on 2 July 2014.
• OpenStreetMap lists him under a second name, Kolejarz Brochowski 2.
• Another dwarf, Kolejarz Brochowski, stands only 3 m away to the northwest.
• A K is stamped on the pocket of his jacket, and a small railway wagon sits in front of him.
• Sources disagree on the address: wromap.pl says Biegła 3, Polish Wikipedia says Biegła 2.

How to Find This Dwarf

Head for ul. Biegła in Brochów, the area around number 2 and 3, and look for the pale stone wall with pebbles at its foot, near the church mentioned by Polish Wikipedia. Look for two dwarfs standing very close together: Kolejarz Brochowski is just 3 m to the northwest. From here the school dwarf Tysiąclatek is 436 m to the south and Semaforek is 543 m to the south, so you can collect all four on one short walk.

Nearby Dwarfs

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessibility

Ground LevelOutdoor

Stands at ground level beside pale stone cladding with pebbles around him. The approach is on ordinary pavement with no steps, but we could not confirm the exact surface.