The councilors of Bielsko-Biała decided to honor their famous artist, Czesław Niemen, who is known throughout Poland, with hits such as “Dziwny jest ten świat” and “Pod papugami.” A tribute to his work was to be expressed by opening a roundabout named after him, located at the intersection of Cieszyńska, Stawowa, and Szarotka streets. The initiative was proposed by the cultural association “Sonata,” and the resolution was passed by the city council on March 1, 2006. It should be noted that at that time, the city authorities obtained the necessary consent from the artist’s widow, Małgorzata Niemen-Wydrzycka, to name the roundabout after him.
In recent years, Bielsko-Biała has undergone extensive reconstruction of its main roads, including, in particular, Cieszyńska Street. To mark the completion of the ongoing works, the city decided to honor Czesław Niemen and the roundabout named after him with a special installation paying tribute to the artist. To this end, a tender was announced, and a bid was selected for an artistic installation made of sheet metal, specifically a structure consisting of two semi-rings with radii of approximately 2.85 m and heights ranging from 23.3 m to 3.2 m. The authors of the project are Michał Kowalski, an architect, and Jacek Grabowski, an artist. The unveiling of the installation on the Czesław Niemen roundabout was scheduled for December 8, 2021.
Unfortunately, instead of waiting with a smile for the opening of the roundabout along with the art installation, on November 19, 2021, the Bielsko-Biała City Roads Authority received a letter from the legal representatives of Małgorzata Niemen-Wydrzycka, stating that the structure on the roundabout violates the right to honor the deceased and, above all, the rights to the image of the deceased artist, which stem from the reserved protective rights. Interestingly, the letter stated that the parties could amicably resolve this dispute by the city paying the widow the amount of PLN 20,000.00.
In its response, the City Hall stated that it does not agree with the allegations raised in the letter in any way. First of all, the prepared installation honors and commemorates the artistic achievements of the artist, which in no way can be equated with a violation of the right to honor the deceased or a failure to protect his good name. Furthermore, the design of the installation was prepared by two independent artists and does not, in any way, rely on trademarks depicting Czesław Niemen and registered in the database of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland.
Regardless of the above, the official opening of the installation commemorating the Polish artist took place as scheduled. How will this matter unfold? Most likely, it will end up in court, but as of today, we do not know the further stance of either party.
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