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 They may look silly, but the numerous gnomes of Wroclaw deliver an important message, says Duncan Rhodes
Visit Wroclaw and chances are you'll spend most of your time with neck tilted upwards, taking in the the city's famed Gothic spires and Baroque gables.
But glance downwards and you'll discover a more modern addition to the town's treasures: a mushrooming population of little leprechauns striking poses on the city's pavements. These diminutive dudes can be found riding pigeons, munching on dumplings, taking naps on street corners or even swinging from lampposts. After you've tripped over your third one, you might ask, "Who exactly are these fellows, and where did they come from?"
Well, these gnomes, or krasnale as they are known in Polish, are the work of local artist Tomasz Moczek and with the city's patronage they have been appearing around the Old Town since 2005. Whereas their cute factor might prompt cynics to dismiss the daft dwarves as little more than a tourist gimmick, behind their rosy faces and absurd attire lies a more serious message.
The gnome was a symbol of the Orange Alternative Movement, which sought to undermine Communism in Wroclaw in the late 1980s. Led by Waldemar Fydrych, or The Major, the Orange Alternative opted against direct confrontation of the government, staging instead a number of ridiculous stunts, intended to reflect the ridiculous nature of the Communist regime.
Singing Stalinist anthems to bemused chimpanzees in Wroclaw zoo and leading a 2,000-strong march demanding the release of Santa Claus (he'd been banned and replaced by the more socialist
 Father Frost) were two of The Major's more memorable coups. Gnomes, with their penchant for trouble, were a natural mascot for the Movement and supporters regularly dressed themselves in luminous orange hats and drew pictures of gnomes on buildings wherever anti-government slogans had been erased by the establishment's paintbrushes.
Today, the resurgence of these mischievous munchkins has proved so popular that the little fellas are being threatened with pest control. Twenty new gnomes sprung up around the city last autumn alone, and many companies are cashing in on their popularity by commissioning them right in front of their shop windows, prompting fears by the council that the gnome is "selling out".
There are no immediate plans to pull the plug just yet though, and two more of the critters by original artist Tomasz Moczek (www.moczek.com) have already been unveiled in 2008. Look out for a cheeky chappie making phone calls on the Rynek and one riding the tram. Let's hope he sets a good example by validating his ticket.
Wrocławskie krasnale, dzieło lokalnego artysty, Tomasza Moczka, zaczęły pojawiać się na ulicach wokół Starego Miasta w 2005 r. Od początku cieszyły się dużą sympatią i zainteresowaniem zarówno miejscowych, jak i turystów. Może to brzmieć nieco dziwnie, ale za rumianą twarzą i dziwacznym strojem kryje się całkiem poważny przekaz.
Krasnal był symbolem Pomarańczowej Alternatywy, anarchistycznego ruchu powstałego we Wrocławiu w latach 80. Jego założycielem był Waldemar Frydrych Major. Członkowie Pomarańczowej Alternatywy przeprowadzali różnego rodzaju akcje, manifestacje i happeningi, mające na celu obnażenie i ośmieszenie absurdu komunistycznego reżimu.
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