Tom Worosz Poland Adventure September 2018: Day 14 – Krakow

Krakow, sometimes spelled a Cracow but pronounced as Cracov, was the major Poland city that was not destroyed during World War II. Due to fast approaching Russian troops, the German army did not detonate the explosives that been placed throughout the city; Wawel Castle, the ancient city square and lovely Churches were spared for future generations to see.

Morning Tour

We traveled by bus to Kazimierz, a nearby suburb of Krakow, once home to a large population of Polish Jews and the site of Spielberg’s riveting movie “Schindler’s List”. Looking at a map of the area, one identifies a significant number of synagogues and a large Jewish cemetery. Our tour began with a visit to one of them, Remuh Synagogue and Cemetery. Destroyed by the Germans in World War II, some of the religious articles survived and were used to reconstruct the interior of this solemn house of worship.

The Remuh Cemetery is located immediately behind the Synagogue. Many of the tombstones were taken to be used by the Nazis as road pavement stones; they were retrieved after the war and returned – not to their rightful owner. Surprisingly, the grave of the Cemetery’s most famous resident, Rabbi Moses Isserles, lived in the 16th century – one of Poland’s most notable Jewish scholars, was not destroyed. Notice the small stones/pebbles placed on the tombstones by Jewish visitors; a tradition similar to Christians placing flowers on graves.

After departing the synagogue, we visited a number of memorials that dealt with Nazi atrocities. Kazimierz’s Old Synagogue exterior was used as an execution site for thirty Polish hostages. Having blood splattered on the synagogue’s exterior walls desecrated the building and thus it could no longer be used as a place of worship; it is now a museum.

Our next stop was Wawel Hill; a complex that contains numerous significant sites including Wawel Castle, Wawel Cathedral and Poland’s Crown Treasury and Armory. The entire complex has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Poland’s national museum. Pictures are not permitted to be taken in the Cathedral and Treasury.

As we left Wawel Hill, our final destination was Krakow “Centrum” square; one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe. The square is surrounded by 15th century townhouses, magnificent churches and a host of outdoor cafes. In the center are a statue of Adama Mickiewicz, a 19th century poet, and the large “Cloth Market” which today houses a plethora of curio shops. Recommendation – relax and spend an enjoyable evening sitting at one of the outdoor cafes, enjoying your favorite beverage while “people watching” or listening to one of the many minstrels that ply their musical skills.

Our guide, Agnieszka Szafraniec, had an in-depth historical knowledge of Krakow and was expressive when discussing her experiences during Poland’s communist era, 1945 - 1992. When we visited the Bishop's Palace, she told us this story: Looking at the building where a large picture of Pope John II was displayed she began to tear-up and cry....”when I was ten years old, I stood right here and listened to the announcement that Cardinal Wojtyla had been elected as the Pope; it was a memorable day throughout Poland. Pope John Paul II inspirational messages to the Polish people during his tenure were a powerful impetus to support our resistance to communist and our fight for freedom. Eight years later, I was a first year student who collected rocks for male students to throw at the militia troops.” Below is a picture of her as our guide and as a university student in 1989 presenting a bouquet of flowers to Lech Walesa, leader of Solidarity Movement, Nobel Peace Prize honoree 1983 and President of Poland, 1990 -1995. People like Agnieszka are the reason that Poland was able to out the Russians from Poland. Meeting these people during the tour was one of the tour's highlights.

Plac Zgody Ghetto

Located a short distance south of Kazimierz and across the Vistula river, Plac Zgody became Krakow’s main Jewish ghetto. The 60,000 Jews living in Kazimierz were force marched across the river to the newly created ghetto. Wall enclosures, whose outline was that of a Jew’s tombstone, had been constructed. Nazis removed Jewish tombstones from the cemeteries and had them used to pave the roads. Beards worn by Hasidic Jews were removed; no one was spared from working the quarry mine. Nazi Germans did all in their power to humiliate the Jewish people. Today, Plac Zgody is home to three significant Holocaust memorials; Eagle Pharmacy, Schindler Museum and Heroes Square.

Righteous Among the Nations

The designation “Righteous Among the Nations” is an honorific awarded by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Two such heroes associated with Krakow are:

Thaddeus Pankiewicz - operated the only pharmacy, Eagle Pharmacy, located in the Jewish ghetto. He convinced the Germans to allow him to provide his services to the Jews. He was a member of the Polish resistance and provided exit strategies and papers to assist some Jews in escaping. His pharmacy is now a museum.

Oskar Schindler – originally a Nazi sympathizer, Schindler operated a large factory where laborers were primarily Jews. Based on his prior Nazi history, he was able to use his business and diplomatic liaisons to assist in saving over 1,000 Jews. His factory has been turned into a very large museum and depicts the history of Nazi occupation and establishment of Krakow’s Plac Zgody ghetto

Heroes Square – the square has been in existence since the 1800s. When the area was designated as the Jewish ghetto by the Nazis in 1941, its main entrance was located on the square. The area was enclosed by walls. In 1943, all Jews were deported to work camps or death camps. As they departed the area, each family had to place all of their personal belongings in the square; chairs being a common discard. Two local architects, Piotr Lewicki and Kazimierz Latak, designed the memorial; 33 large chairs made of iron and bronze to commemorate those who resided here.

Underground Krakow

In the early part of the 21st century, archeologists found the remains of “old Krakow” buried 12 feet underground. In the 1500s, the city was a major trading center and the only inland city of the thriving Hanseatic League trading alliance. Its homes were made of timber and the roofs of straw. A major fire claimed a vast majority of the buildings. Rather than remove the debris, a “new Krakow” was built on top of the old city ruins. The museum provides an interesting view of the past in a cool and less crowded space.

Free Time

I roamed the side streets of Krakow. I purchased Polish pottery; plates for family members and a spoon for each grandchild. I purchased a sketch of Krakow’s main square to hang on my wall. I walked the town square, examining vendor offerings or observing fellow tourists.

My most enjoyable moment that day came at dinner that night. I had found a small Polish restaurant that served golumbki and cold beer. I met a British couple and encouraged them to try the golumbki for dinner. Later, we had a conversation about England’s Premier League football (soccer) when, to my surprise, the Englishman lifts up his shirt and showed me a tattoo of a Southampton player whizzing on a Newcastle soccer shirt. I couldn’t help but laugh all the way back to my hotel.

Goodbye Meal

Since this would be the last night that we would be together, Kasia arranged for us to have a special meal at a restaurant located near Krakow main square. What a fabulous evening!! We were carried by horse drawn carriage down narrow streets to the main square which we circled twice, waved and smiled at the hundreds of gawking tourists, enjoyed the paparazzi taking pictures of our caravan and knowing that we were ending a fabulous tour of Poland on a high note.

Dinner was standard Polish fare; all good. A member of the kitchen staff demonstrated how to make pierogi and inviting those interested to follow his lead. What a fabulous evening.