Convinced as we are that modern man needs and craves contact with higher values, such as good, love, respect for another person (child), the art of communicating, forgiving, tolerance, the art of dialogue - and Janusz Korczak personified such values and confirmed them with his life - we acknowledged that his monument could also be a monument to such values. Keeping in mind Janusz Korczak's own statement that "sadness is too cold for children, so they soon run out into the sun of happiness" - we wanted to erect a monument with an optimistic, joyous meaning.
The Organizing Committee announced an International Competition for the Janusz Korczak Monument Project, and appointed a Jury for the Competition. The Jury included eminent creative artists from the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, professor Marek Budzynski and professor Adam Myjak, Szymon Szurmiej - the Director of the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw, and two additional people to supply advisory voices: Marek Web - Institute YIVO and Lena Benoualid - architect.


29 proposals have been submitted for the competition, of which 6 were chosen at the first stage of the competition: 

entry # 2 - author: Ewa Trafna ,


entry # 9 - authors Bogdan Chmielewski, Zbigniew Wilma,


entry # 11 - author: Magdalena Walczak,


entry # 12 - author: Marian Konieczny,


entry # 15 - author: Małgorzata Olkuska,


entry # 26 - author: Stefan Dousa.

At the November 14, 2002 session of the jury, after a discriminating examination of the entries the Committee awarded two equivalent prizes: entry # 5 - authors Bogdan Chmielewski, Zbigniew Wilma entry # 6 - author Magdalena Walczak o­n January 24 2003 the Committee For The Building Of The J. Korczak Monument chose the monument authored by Bogdan Chmielewski, and Zbigniew Wilma for realization.

On September 6, 2001 The Communal Counsel Board of Warsaw - Centrum voted that the Janusz Korczak Monument will be situated in the western part of the square located o­n the north side of The Palace of Culture and Science, between the extension of Sliska Street, and Swietokrzyska Street - in downtown Warsaw. o­n September 19, 2003, a foundation stone was laid under it.



session of the jury - the first stage of the competition


The session of the jury. From the left: Gołda Tencer, Lena Benoualid, prof. Szymon Rudnicki, Izabela Teodorkiewicz, Marek Web


The session of the jury. From the left: prof. Stanisław Wieczorek, Ryszard Wyszyński, prof. Marek Budzyński, prof. Adam Myjak, Tomasz Steckiewicz, prof. Jadwiga Bińczycka