Friday, October 6, 2017

Going after Gnomes

They are hiding in plain sight and are usually found first by children since
Welcome to Wroclaw
the kids are much closer to the ground. You’d think that it would be easy to find many of these 400 statues, but that’s not the case! They eluded us at every turn. We finally bought a map only to learn that the little beasties had changed locations, or simply vanished; and there were many more that weren’t on the map at all! The Gnomes of Wroclaw (or Dwarfs as they are called locally) are two-foot tall statues that lend great whimsy to the city and captivate visitors into seeing the sights by going on a Gnome hunt. Their history, however, is much more political.




Poland, once freed from the Nazis, was taken over by the Soviets. The citizens put up with this for a while, but life under the Red Star wasn’t
Sunflower Gnome
pleasant. The Polish anti-communist underground movement, the Orange Alternative, began in Wroclaw and took a dwarf for their symbol. Led by Waldemar Fydrych in the 1980s, its main purpose was to conduct peaceful protests that had absurd and nonsensical elements. This allowed a broader population to oppose the authoritarian regime in ways that were unlikely to get them arrested. Because of the silly nature of their protests, if the Orange Alternative participants were detained, the police became the butt of the joke. For instance, on one occasion the Communist militia apprehended 77 Santa Clauses; on another they seized anyone wearing anything orange. The police looked pretty silly in the international press.




Placement of the Gnomes began in 2001 when the first statue was
Papa Gnome 
erected to commemorate the Orange Alternative. The next five were designed a graduate of The Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, Tomasz Moczek. These were the Fencer near the University of Wrocław, the Butcher in Stare Jatki arcade, two Sisyphuses on Świdnicka Street, and the Odra-Washer-Dwarf, near Piaskowy Bridge. As part of the Wrocław without Barriers campaign, the next gnomes placed represented a person in a Wheelchair, a Deaf-mute and a Blind person. According to one of our guides, a competition is held every month to determine what topic the next dwarf will represent. Whoever wins has their gnome sculptured, cast in bronze, and placed in an appropriate site.


Top L to R: First five gnomes
Bottom: Disables gnomes

Known as the "Revolution of Dwarves", more than 10 thousand people marched through the center of Wrocław wearing orange dwarf hats.
Top L to R: Printer, fountain, Singer and listener, Professor
Bottom L to R: Painter, Hammer, Farmer, Photographer

One of the Orange Alternative's actions was known as "Distribution of Toilet Paper" – a happening that satirized the annoying lack of that consumer product at the time.
Top L to R: Harley, House, Firemen
Bottom L to R: Veteran, Present, Guitarist, Guru
In Poland there are only three places when you can feel free: In churches, but only for prayers; in prisons, but not everyone can go to prison; and on the streets: they are the freest places.
                                                                                     --Waldemar Fydrych

L to R: Trombonist, Librarian, Bottle men (top), Sleepy (bottom), Statue of Liberty

The Western World will find out much more about the situation in Poland from hearing that I was sent to jail for handing out sanitary pads to women, than from reading books and articles written by other members of the opposition.
                                                                                     --Waldemar Fydrych
L to R: On horseback, Pharmacy, TV watcher (top), Bench sitter (bottom), Newsboy
Can you treat a police officer seriously, when he is asking you: "Why did you participate in an illegal meeting of dwarfs?"
                                                                                     --Waldemar Fydrych
Top L to R: Inside ATM 1, Inside ATM 2, Banker, Bell ringer
Bottom L to R: Tourist, Dove sitter, Gourmand, Bass player
…Pure Rationalism failed to dominate toilets. Surrealism was kept alive in toilets thanks to the politicians…The politicians have always been great surrealists.

--Waldemar Fydrych
Top L to R: Flying on film, Treasure, The Kiss, With Scales
Bottom L to R: Water bearer, Lion's Club, Night depository, Postman
The Orange Alternative printed leaflets and posters, featuring slogans such as "Every militiaman is a piece of Art" or "Citizen, help the militia, beat yourself up".
Top L to R: Lamp post, Plates, Theater, Raking leaves
Bottom L to R: Sleepwalker, Croissant maker, Pierogie, Magician

"There is no freedom without dwarves".

--Anonymous
Top L to R: Plasterer, Ice Cream, Knight's page, Earphones
Bottom L to R: Advertising, Skateboard, Baking, In jail 
The Dwarfs Festival takes place in Wrocław every year in September. This is one festival I would really like to attend!
Left T to B: Using laptop, Orchestra
Right: Recycling

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