Monument to Ferdinand the Magnificent

The Monument to Ferdinand the Magnificent stands before the main entrance to Galeria Łódzka, at the junction of al. Piłsudskiego and ul. Sienkiewicza. It depicts a dog in a suit and top hat, the hero of a book by Ludwik Jerzy Kern and an animated series by the Se-ma-for studio, and on the Łódź Fairy Tale Trail is one of the most recognisable figures.

A dog who decided to live like a human

Ferdinand was created by Ludwik Jerzy Kern in a book published in 1963. The protagonist is a dog who, after seeing how people live, begins to imitate them: he dresses up, walks on two legs and ventures into the city. The character was inspired by the writer's family dog. The Łódź studio Se-ma-for produced an animated series based on this consisting of eight nine-minute episodes between 1975 and 1977, and it was this television version that brought Ferdinand his greatest popularity.

Sculpture before Galeria Łódzka

The figure was unveiled in September 2015 at al. Piłsudskiego 15/23. It stands 164 centimetres tall, cast in bronze covered with patina and depicts a figure with a human silhouette and a dog's head, in an elegant suit, with a top hat on his head and leaning on a parasol. The authors are Magdalena Walczak and Marcin Mielczarek, a pair of sculptors responsible for most of the figures on the trail. Ferdinand was the first monument on the route financed by a private investor, which was the neighbouring Galeria Łódzka. The writer's family attended the ceremony.

Stamp and the rest of the trail

The Łódź Fairy Tale Trail was created to commemorate the achievements of Se-ma-for and began in October 2009 with Teddy Bear on Piotrkowska. Ferdinand was the ninth figure on it. A stamp confirming a visit is issued by the car park office on the second floor of the gallery, and collecting at least eight stamps from ten points on the trail entitles you to a PTTK tourist badge. A map with locations can be downloaded from the city tourism portal website.

Area around the monument

The figure stands in a location that is passed through on almost every visit to the city centre, as the junction of Piłsudskiego and Sienkiewicza lies between the railway station and the southern section of Piotrkowska.

From Łódź Fabryczna railway station it takes around fifteen minutes on foot, and along the way you pass the Henryk Sienkiewicz Park with another figure from the trail, the sculpture of Plastus.

Practical information

• Address: al. Piłsudskiego 15/23, before the entrance to Galeria Łódzka, Śródmieście.
• Getting there: trams and buses to stops at al. Piłsudskiego and ul. Sienkiewicza, around fifteen minutes on foot from Łódź Fabryczna railway station.
• What to expect: a bronze sculpture 164 centimetres tall, located on the pavement before the gallery, accessible free of charge at any time.
• Trail stamp available at the car park office on the second floor of the gallery, during its opening hours. It is worth checking these before your visit.
• Combines well with a walk around the city centre and with other figures on the trail, for example Plastus in the nearby park.