Map of former German inscriptions in Wroclaw under preparation [VIDEO]

The map of former German inscriptions is an exceptional project aimed at familiarising inhabitants and tourists with the history of the city. ‘Breslau Looking from under the Plaster’ is another proposal that will show places worth seeing from an entirely new perspective. The places about which we will not always read in guides.

How was this initiative born?

‘The Tymoteusz Karpowicz Foundation, which also co-creates this project, has performed various educational and cultural activities connected with Wroclaw and Lower Silesia for years. The knowledge about German graphic symbols and contents that can still be seen in the public space of Wroclaw is unstructured, marginal and unpopularised. It is also endangered – we wanted to change this and to record as many objects of this type as possible. The map will also be accompanied by a bilingual introduction to the subject,’ says Grzegorz Czekański, the co-ordinator of the project.

What is necessary to create the map?

‘We certainly need support from Wroclaw inhabitants who know about preserved inscriptions hidden in back-premises, gates or cellars of houses in which they live. Those visible from the outside, on façades, are easiest to find, though sometimes difficult to locate. We count on people's response,’ stresses Grzegorz Czekański.

According to estimations, how many such inscriptions can be seen on Wroclaw walls?

‘Our map currently contains nearly 200 various types of epigrams – graphic symbols set in a rigid structure, such as a façade, a floor drain, a pre-war advertising column, a pavement slab, etc. There are certainly many more examples,’ stresses Grzegorz Czekański.

Everyone can co-create the map

The persons who have archival photos on which German inscriptions or illustrations are visible can become  co-creators of the initiative ‘Breslau Looking from under the Plaster’. You can simply contact its creators by e-mail:[email protected],, by phone: 666951823 or via fanpage ‘Breslau Looking from under the Plaster’.

‘Breslau Looking from under the Plaster’ is another initiative of the Tymoteusz Karpowicz Foundation; previously it published such items as the map In the Trail of Wroclaw Bookshops