Jimi Hendrix Bench in Dąbrowa Górnicza

The Jimi Hendrix Bench stands on Wolności Square in the centre of Dąbrowa Górnicza, next to the Monument to the Heroes of the Red Banners. The bronze sculpture by Adam Szczepański was unveiled on 20 September 2012. It shows a musician playing a guitar.

Where the idea came from

The history of the bench begins with the stone Monument to the Heroes of the Red Banners from 1970. In 1990 it was decided to blow it up, and holes for explosives were even drilled. The young people of the town then renamed the sculpture a monument to the musicians Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain. A plaque with the inscription “Make love not war. War is over. To all who love freedom” was placed on the plinth, and the sculpture was painted with symbols of youth subculture. The monument survived and became a meeting place.

The bench from 2012

In 2012 a bronze-cast sculpture of Hendrix was placed beside the stone monument. It was unveiled by lookalikes of Lech Wałęsa, Chuck Norris and Elvis Presley. On the back of the bench is an inscription moved over from the plaque of the Monument to the Heroes of the Red Banners.

Nearby

Right next to it stands the Basin Palace of Culture, and a few hundred metres away the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Angels.

Practical information

• Place: Wolności Square, Dąbrowa Górnicza.
• The sculpture stands in an open square and can be viewed at any time.