Siwek

Story

Siwek may be the most jazz-loving dwarf in Wrocław. He stands by the three stone fountains on the Oder embankment, in glasses, a cap and a short beard, with one hand raised and the other open as if he were counting in the band. Legend among the local dwarfs says that on summer evenings the fountains play a little softer so that he can hear the music drifting from the festival.

History & Significance

Krasnal Siwek was unveiled on Sunday 28 April 2024, nearly two years after the death of Wojciech Siwek (1944-2022), a co-founder of the Jazz nad Odrą festival. His daughter Tesia unveiled the figure. The sculptor is Beata Zwolańska-Hołod. Wojciech Siwek was born on 7 August 1944 in Sarnowa and took part in 57 editions of the festival from 1964. The dwarf stands near three stone fountains by the Grunwald Bridge descent on Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego. Wromap gives the address as Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 8; the citygame guide says only "by the fountain". Wrocław's bronze dwarfs trace their roots to the Orange Alternative, a playful protest movement of the 1980s whose members painted dwarfs on city walls; since 2005 the city has filled its streets with bronze dwarfs, and there are now well over a thousand of them.

Inspiration

Siwek honours Wojciech Siwek, known to colleagues as "Mr. Jazz nad Odrą", who helped to build the festival into one of Poland's best-known jazz events. The International Jazz nad Odrą Foundation wrote that he left a jazz "full of his absence". One local report says the dwarf holds a trumpet in his right hand and that the spot is where the festival began about sixty years earlier; in the photo we have, the hand is raised and holds an upright object, so check it yourself on site.

Fun Facts

• He remembers Wojciech Siwek (1944-2022), a co-founder of the Jazz nad Odrą festival.
• His daughter Tesia unveiled him on 28 April 2024.
• Wojciech Siwek took part in 57 editions of the festival, starting in 1964.
• He stands by three stone fountains near the Grunwald Bridge descent.
• He is about 1.5 km from the Market Square, and the nearest dwarf, Poliglotek, is only 83 m away.

How to Find This Dwarf

Head to the three stone fountains on Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego, close to the Grunwald Bridge descent, and look low among the plants. From Poliglotek, walk about 83 m to the southeast. From MOSTowiak, go about 127 m to the east. From Matematyk, it is about 141 m to the north.

Nearby Dwarfs

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessibility

Ground LevelOutdoor

Photos show the dwarf at ground level by a path, with plants behind. It stands on the embankment by the fountains, so the surface may be a mix of paving and gravel; check on site.