"Man Crossing the River" (Tightrope Walker), Bydgoszcz

Above the Brda river, by the Jerzy Sulima-Kamiński Bridge, a young man holding a balancing pole has been walking a rope for over twenty years without ever falling. "Przechodzący przez rzekę" ("Man Crossing the River"), known locally as the tightrope walker, was hung over the water on 1 May 2004, the day Poland joined the European Union, and quickly became one of Bydgoszcz's symbols. The secret is physics: the figure's centre of gravity sits below the level of the rope.

The sculpture that never falls

It is the work of Jerzy "JotKa" Kędziora, a sculptor from Częstochowa (born 1947) who is known worldwide for his "Balancing" series, shown in Amsterdam, Berlin, London and Venice among other places. The idea of hanging a figure over the Brda is credited to Maciej Obremski, then deputy mayor of Bydgoszcz. The figure is about 2.2 m tall yet weighs only around 50 kg, as it is made of resin composite with brass powder. The pole is 6 metres long and the rope across the river more than 100 metres.

What to look for

• The arrow in his hand – the tightrope walker is an admirer of Bydgoszcz's famous "Archer" statue (Łuczniczka), carrying an arrow she has shot to the other bank.
• Roman sandals slung over his shoulder – the same as the ones the Archer wears.
• A swallow on the rope – in German a swallow is Schwalbe, a nod to Andrzej Szwalbe, founder of the Pomeranian Philharmonic.
• The face – reportedly modelled on the artist's son, Bartłomiej.

A growing balancing family

In 2024, for the 20th anniversary of Poland's EU accession, the Rother Mills (Młyny Rothera) arts centre staged a temporary exhibition, "Uniesienie" ("Elevation"), with ten of Kędziora's balancing sculptures on Mill Island. It proved so popular that the city decided to keep some of them. In 2025 "The Rower" ("At the Finish") was hung over the Młynówka channel, a nod to Bydgoszcz's rowing tradition, and on 25 June 2025 "The Basket Weaver" – a woman with a wicker basket recalling the old trade here – was unveiled above Jatki street. The sculptures are looked after by the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum, which plans a trail of Kędziora's works from Gdańska street to Mill Island.

Tripto tip

The sculpture can be seen free of charge at any time. The best shot is from the Sulima-Kamiński Bridge or the riverside promenades, with the old granaries as a backdrop. Viewing takes ten minutes, but it is worth building an hour's walk around it: the old and new granaries, the Main Post Office building, Mill Island with "The Rower" and Jatki street with "The Basket Weaver" are all a short walk away. The figure is also clearly visible from the tour boats on the Brda.