Monument to Slaughtered Animals in Wrocław

Every respectable medieval city had a market. Stalls arranged in rows where one could buy everything from fabrics (in the cloth halls) to tools and food. A particular part of the market was the butchers' stalls, where master butchers sold meat and its products. Due to their nature, they were typically located on the edge of the marketplace.

This was also the case in Wrocław. In the former Breslau, butchers took over the passage connecting today's Kiełbaśnicza and Odrzańska streets. Over time, living quarters were added to the stalls. The tradition of trading meat in this place lasted a long time, until 1939, when two master butchers still lived and worked there.

After the war, there was a proposal to demolish the neglected block. However, it was saved, and artists took over the butchers' locations. Members of the Wrocław branch of the Association of Polish Artists did not forget the history of the place. They even decided to commemorate it. Thus, at Stare Jatki Street, a Monument to the Honour of Slaughtered Animals was erected. First, in 1997, a goose with an egg arrived, followed by a goat with goat droppings, a pig with a piglet, a duck, a rooster, and a rabbit. Everything was completed with a plaque: "In honour of slaughtered animals – Consumers."

And so history came full circle. The craft returned to Jatki, albeit in a slightly different form. And along with it, tourists interested in this intriguing place.

Photographer and author of the text - Bogusława Bandyk