Each morning, St. Mary’s Basilica opens its doors for locals and tourists to marvel in its ethereal grandeur. Its magnificent alter is revealed at 11:30 each morning before mass proceeds. As the bugle sounds from the churches tallest spire, onlookers watch in awe at this seven-century old tradition. Krakow is a city vibrant with culture and history. Its neighbourhoods are overflowing with beautiful old buildings and charismatic cafes as well as having a bustling nightlife. Much of a trip to Krakow is centred around its history, especially for Polish Jews during WWII. This article looks at the beauty of Krakow and its culture, as well as focusing on the City’s dark history hidden in plain sight.
Mornings in Rynek Główny, the main square, are full of life. Horse-drawn carts line the streets, adorned with handcrafted decorations. Market stalls which overflow with flowers give the illusion of a meadow in full bloom and carts are wheeled around which radiate the smell of freshly baked obwarzanek- a circular shaped bagel with various toppings. The square sits in the middle of the Old town, from which narrow cobbled streets branch off in every direction. These streets overflow with cafes, bookstores, shops and a myriad of restaurants. In front of St. Mary’s basilica stands The Cloth Hall, which was once a centre of international trade. Travelling merchants gathered to sell their exotic items such as spices, silk, leather and wax. Meanwhile, Krakow was a significant exporter in salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Built at the behest of King Casimir III the Great, Wawel castle consists of nearly all European architectural styles of medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. The castle itself built around an Italian style garden, which in summer overflows with flowers and fresh greenery. The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill are the most culturally significant structures in the country.
A short walk away from the main square, and you’ll find yourself in Kazimierz, the wealthy historic Jewish quarter of Krakow is filled with affluent and grand apartments. The Northern part of Kazimierz is historically known for the Jewish inhabitants. They were forcibly removed from their homes to Ghetto, just across the Vistula River to Podgorze in 1941. Today, Kazimierz is an on-trend, artsy corner of Krakow filled with indie art galleries, shops and bars that all add to the upbeat atmosphere and charismatic nightlife which is such a vital part to Krakow’s culture. Kazimierz is still home to many synagogues, and its history of Jewish settlers is always remembered.
Many people may have heard of Oskar Schindler as he was the namesake of the Steven Spielberg film ‘Schindler’s list’ a factory owner during WWII who helped to house and hide Jews from the Nazis. The museum in his name is dedicated to the history of the Podgorze-Krakow Ghetto. Walking around the museum is indescribably emotional as you glimpse into the lives of settlers who resided there in the 40s. Schindler’s office was recreated, and his desk is preserved, across from which is a considerably large art instalment of 11,000 metal pots. This structure contains the names of 11,000 Jews who were saved by Oskar Schindler. The final room of the tour is a bright, white-walled cylinder. A sense of peace and closure permeates this stark, glowing space. The walls are covered with various quotes in different languages from Jews at the time of the Ghettos liquidation. One of the quotes featured in English reads “She offered me a dress and a warm coat. I finally looked like a human being.”
Sadly many Jewish settlers were not saved. Instead, the Nazis forced them to live, work and die in Auschwitz. This infamous concentration camp is an educational must-see. It is crucial to teach yourself of the past to ensure that history will never repeat itself. Auschwitz is situated roughly an hour from Krakow, the journey there is filled with serene Polish countryside and beautiful traditional villages. The Auschwitz camps themselves are a complex of 40 sub-camps, many of these were for labour and some for the production of Zyklon B, the gas that killed over one million Jews during the Holocaust. Auschwitz was the main work camp, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau was used as an extermination camp. At the main gates of the camp there are two massive stone walls, propped on top there is a rusting metal sign which reads “Arbeit macht frei” translating to “Work will set you free.” 1.1 million people perished in Auschwitz alone and six million Jews through the Holocaust as a whole.
As you enter, the gravel pathways are lined with rows and rows of brick buildings; each of these was used to house people that were deemed unworthy by the Nazis. Many of these buildings have been preserved and used to show visitors the horrors of that time.
A short trip down the road leads to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the death camp. The infamous railway leads through the arch and right between fenced-in wooden huts, which stretch as far as the eye can see on either side of the tracks. The land is flat and barren, and it has become a wasteland. Ahead of the tracks on the right side, there stands hundreds of stone chimneys, the only part of the wooden huts left from when the Nazis tried burning down the camp to hide their mass genocide. The living conditions in this camp were much worse than the first, wooden bunks line the walls of huts, and holes in concrete platforms sufficed as toilets, with no plumbing.
Stories of lives lost, and minimal survivors provoke immense sadness as you enter each room. As the sun shines on a bright winter afternoon, you can’t help but think about the conditions these innocent people had to face and how lucky we all indeed are. Krakow not only provides a chance to experience the rich culture, try great food and visit historical landmarks, but it also allows us to delve deeper into it’s darker past and educate ourselves on the Holocaust.
Mia-Lauren
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