Szlaki województw śląskiego i opolskiego

On the market square in Mikołów [Nikolai], there is a sculpture commemorating one of the most important contemporary Polish poets. Rafał Wojaczek (1945–1971) was born in Mikołów. He is one of the most characteristic and tragic figures of post-war Polish poetry. He studied in Mikołów and Katowice, and briefly studied Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University, but quickly abandoned his education, choosing the life of an artist-outsider. From 1964, he lived in Wrocław, where he debuted in the magazine "Poezja". During his lifetime, he published two volumes: Sezon (1969) and Inna bajka (1970). His work is characterized by strong language, emotional expression, and an obsession with death, eroticism, and loneliness. Wojaczek rebelled against the social and moral norms of the Polish People's Republic (PRL). He struggled with depression, alcoholism, and a sense of alienation, which was reflected in his poems. He died tragically at the age of less than 26, probably by committing suicide. The bench with Wojaczek's sculpture was created based on old photographs of the poet as one of the elements celebrating the 800th anniversary of the city of Mikołów.