King Matt the First Monument

The King Matt the First Monument stands on Rayskiego Street in Szczecin and commemorates Janusz Korczak. The sculpture in pink granite was designed by Mieczysław Welter and unveiled on 1 June 1961, on Children's Day.

The sculpture

The figure of the title hero of Janusz Korczak's book is 145 centimetres high. Matt stands with his head slightly lowered, gazing at a nightingale held in his hands. The figure rests on a small concrete pillar, to which a bronze plaque with the inscription “Król Maciuś I” (“King Matt the First”) is fixed. At the base a bronze plaque with a dedication is set into the wall: “To Janusz Korczak, educator and friend of young people, 1961”.

Where it stood and where it stands

The monument was made on commission and with funds from the Culture Department of the Provincial National Council. It originally stood in front of Janusz Korczak Primary School no. 54 on Obrońców Stalingradu Street (today Edmunda Bałuki). In 2012, when the school moved, the sculpture was dismantled and restored, and on 21 March 2013 it was unveiled in its new place on Rayskiego Street.

Practical information

• Place: Rayskiego Street, Szczecin, next to a school.
• The monument stands outdoors and can be viewed at any time.
• It is about 700 metres from here to the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic.