The City Codes project is much more than a well-endowed multimedia e-library which helps document Kraków’s multi-century literary life and accommodate text fragments, invaluable archival recordings, photographs and biographies of key literary and cultural figures. Scattered across urban space, these visually appealing plates of literary patrons effectively promote the UNESCO City of Literature brand among Krakow citizens and visitors. Thanks to this project, the prestigious title enjoyed by Kraków for four years now is more prominent in public space. It also epitomises the concept of urban space interwoven with literature.
Next to the name a special QR code is placed on each plaque. After scanning it with a tablet or a smartphnone one can access the project website, and read there an excerpt from a text by a given author, listen to its recording in Polish and in English, and find the author’s biographical note. Additionally, the website offers an interactive map thanks to which one can easily find all literary benches, as well as the selected, most important literary addresses in Kraków.
