Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Warszawy (TPW), the Society of Friends of Warsaw, is a Polish civic organization founded in 1963 to promote knowledge of the capital’s history and culture. Its visual identity dates to 1968, when a competition produced the black stylized mermaid mark still used by the society today.
Design and History
In 1967, TPW announced a competition for the design of an “organizational badge,” what would today be called the association’s logo. Warsaw-based graphic artists contributed 27 proposals on a voluntary basis. On January 22, 1968, the competition jury, chaired by editor Aleksy Czerwiński, selected the entry submitted by Karol Śliwka under the motto “Limba”: a black stylized mermaid on a white background that became the recognizable sign of TPW. Among the four works that received distinctions were two additional projects by the same author, as well as proposals by Zofia Szymkiewicz and Andrzej Zbrożek.[1]
Karol Śliwka (1932-2018) was a Polish graphic designer who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 1959. He designed numerous well-known Polish logos, including those for PKO BP, the National Library in Warsaw, the Institute of Mother and Child, and the Smyk department store in Warsaw.[1] A regional news obituary also confirms Śliwka as the author of the Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Warszawy logo.[2]
The society later honored Śliwka for his work. He was made an Honorary Member of TPW, with the organization noting his role as “the author of our logo.”[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The winning design depicts a stylized Warsaw mermaid, the traditional heraldic symbol of the city. The official TPW history describes the mark simply as “a black stylized mermaid on a white background.”[1] A branding agency’s analysis, published in 2025, offers a more detailed reading: the mermaid is formed from the letters of the organization’s acronym, TPW. According to this interpretation, the letter “T” forms the mermaid’s raised right arm holding a sword, the “P” creates her silhouette with the shield in her left hand, and the “W” represents the lower part of the body and the tail fins.[3] This description aligns with the observation that the logo is “composed of the initials TPW arranged into a stylized Mermaid.”[4]
Typography and Design
The TPW mark is a monochrome design, rendered in black on a white background.[1] The organization’s official website maintains a dedicated page for the logo and requires that projects using the TPW graphic sign be submitted for approval before publication.[5] No official documentation of specific color values, typography standards, or a formal brand manual has been published by the society.
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