Wskers Ślepak Głuchak

Story

Three little ambassadors share one spot beside the Old Town Hall. Ślepak wears dark glasses, Głuchak lifts a hand beside his head as if straining to hear, and W-Skers keeps a hand raised close to his face under a pulled-down cap. Together they are listed here as the Mischievous Trio. They sit at pavement level on the cobbles, right where the crowds cross the Rynek, and their message is a friendly one: a city is best when everybody can enjoy it.

History & Significance

Wikipedia lists the three - Głuchak, Ślepak and W-Skers - as ambassadors of the 'Wrocław bez barier' campaign, made by Marta Mirynowska and standing at Rynek Ratusz 1 by the Museum of Bourgeois Art in the Town Hall. Polish Wikipedia adds that Głuchak and Ślepak were first unveiled at a pedestrian underpass on ul. Świdnicka and later moved in front of the museum entrance. Sources differ on details: wromap.pl gives the address as Rynek 50 and dates W-Skers to 8 December 2007 and Ślepak and Głuchak to 18 June 2008. The tradition behind Wrocław's dwarfs began with 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 hundreds of them.

Inspiration

The trio were made to support the 'Wrocław without Barriers' campaign for accessibility. Ślepak (roughly 'the blind one') wears dark glasses and Głuchak (roughly 'the deaf one') cups a hand by his head; what W-Skers stands for is not explained in the sources I found, so this page does not guess. No sponsor is named in the sources.

Fun Facts

• The three are ambassadors of the 'Wrocław bez barier' (Wrocław without Barriers) campaign.
• Ślepak's name comes from the Polish word for blind and he wears dark glasses; Głuchak's name comes from the Polish word for deaf.
• Polish Wikipedia says Głuchak and Ślepak first stood by a pedestrian underpass on ul. Świdnicka before moving to the Town Hall.
• All three were made by sculptor Marta Mirynowska.
• The app and wromap list Ślepak and W-Skers as separate dwarfs at practically the same spot, so one visit ticks off several entries.

How to Find This Dwarf

The trio sits by the Old Town Hall at Rynek Ratusz 1, beside the entrance to the Museum of Bourgeois Art, on the cobbles at pavement level. Bend down to look them in the face: they are small. Pomagajek is 24 m north, and Zraszacz is 29 m northwest. Wromap gives the address as Rynek 50, so look at the building wall next to the Town Hall.

Nearby Dwarfs

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessibility

Ground LevelOutdoor

Pavement level, no steps, but the Rynek is paved with cobblestones, which can be bumpy for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The dwarfs are small, so children and wheelchair users can reach them easily.