Rafał Dutkiewicz

Story

Rafał Dutkiewicz is a dwarf tribute to the man who ran Wrocław for sixteen years, and he sits in a ground-floor window of the Town Hall at Sukiennice 9, in the very spot where the mayor once worked. From his window he watches the Market Square as if he is still checking that everything is in order. Legend says he can hear a loose cobblestone from a hundred metres away and has a plan for every pothole. Look at the window from the pavement outside and say hello to the best-known mayor in dwarf history.

History & Significance

This dwarf was unveiled on 1 December 2021 in a ground-floor window of the Wrocław Town Hall, in the place where Rafał Dutkiewicz worked during his 16 years as the city's mayor. The idea came from the then mayor, Jacek Sutryk, with the approval of Dutkiewicz himself, and the city paid about 5,000 zloty for it. The website wromap.pl credits sculptor Beata Zwolańska-Hołod, although the news report on the unveiling does not name the author. The dwarf joined a small group of dwarfs that honour real people, among them Professor Jan Miodek, Leszek Cichoński and Professor Alicja Chybicka.

Inspiration

The dwarf honours Rafał Dutkiewicz, who was mayor of Wrocław from 2002 to 2018. His years in office included the football Euro 2012 and Wrocław's year as European Capital of Culture in 2016, and they were also the years in which the dwarf craze took off. Dutkiewicz is said to have funded another dwarf himself, called Integracjanek. The Town Hall window where the dwarf sits is a fitting place, because it is the building from which he led the city.

Fun Facts

• The dwarf cost the city about 5,000 zloty.
• For 16 years, from 2002 to 2018, he was mayor of Wrocław.
• His successor, Jacek Sutryk, came up with the idea, and Dutkiewicz agreed to it.
• Another dwarf, Integracjanek, is said to have been paid for by Dutkiewicz himself.
• Życzliwek, the dwarf of kindness, stands only about 17 metres to the north.

How to Find This Dwarf

Walk about 45 metres north-west of the middle of the Old Town Hall and look at the ground-floor windows of the Town Hall on that side. The dwarf sits in one of them and can be seen from the pavement. Życzliwek, the dwarf with the sunflower and suitcase, is about 17 metres to the north. Your mission: find his window, wave to the mayor-dwarf and decide what you would change in the city if you were mayor for a day.

Nearby Dwarfs

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessibility

Wheelchair AccessibleOutdoor

He sits in a ground-floor window and is best seen from the pavement outside, so no ticket or stairs are needed. The cobblestone surface of the square can be bumpy for pushchairs and wheelchairs.