This small bust of the beloved 19th century Polish romantic poet is one of the oldest monuments in Tarnów, having been unveiled on what was then known as Mały Rynek (Small Square) in 1900 by artist Tadeusz Błotnicki. Considered the greatest Polish literary figure of all time, Mickiewicz's bust supposedly survived the Nazis' campaign to destroy all Polish culture, when the occupiers were persuaded to believe the at-that-time uninscribed statue was of German literary luminary Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or German composer Ludwig von Beethoven (depending who you talk to).
