Little Oskar statue / Oskar’s bench

Technique: bronze sculpture

Dimensions: max. 103 cm × 55 cm × 65 cm (figure)

Object: The sculpture is a contemporary monument commemorating Günter Grass, the Nobel Prize-winning writer, who was born and raised in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz (German: Langfuhr). The monument is composed of two figures sitting on a bench placed behind a semi-circular trellis: Oskar Matzerath, the protagonist of The Tin Drum from the Gdańsk Trilogy, and the writer, Günter Grass. Both sculptures were made in 2002, but as the writer objected to having a monument erected to himself during his lifetime, the figure of Oskar was unveiled first. On 16 October 2015, on the 88^th anniversary of the author’s birth, a sculpture of the writer was added to the monument. The bronze figures are depicted in a realistic manner: Oskar is holding a drum and playing it, while Günter Grass is depicted sitting with his attributes – an open book on his right knee and a pipe in his left hand. He is also accompanied by a toad and snail – both references to his work.

2002 – unveiling Oskar’s statue, 2015 – unveiling Günter Grass’s statue

Another sculpture by Sławoj Ostrowski, Dancing Girl, is placed nearby, on a granite obelisk in the middle of the fountain. It refers to Tulla Pokriefke, a character from another of Grass’s novels. On several occasions, sculptural bronze details disappeared from the monuments, falling prey to local scrap metal collectors.

Place: Józef Wybicki Square is a park space situated in Dolny Wrzeszcz. There used to be a market and a reservoir here. The square is now lined with trees and serves a recreational function: there is a fountain, benches and a playground.

Information about the author: Sławoj Ostrowski (b. 14 December 1943 in Słupca, d. 9 March 2018) was a sculptor and pedagogue. Between 1963 and 1969, he studied at the State High School of Visual Arts in Gdańsk at the Faculty of Sculpture. He was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and headed the Sculpture Studio. He received a professorship in 1996. Ostrowski is the author of numerous works in public space: statues, sculptures, memorial plaques, commemorating such figures as Zbyszek Cybulski, Zbigniew Herbert, Antoni Abraham, Jakub Wejher or Günter Grass. He mostly worked with polychromed wood, stone and bronze and took part in many exhibitions in Poland and abroad. He was the winner of multiple sculpture competitions.

Condition of the object: partially destroyed, no drumsticks

Owner/guardian: Gdańsk Road and Greenery Authority

Author of the entry: Michalina Domoń