These apartment buildings in Podgórze (Kraków Ghetto) are little changed in appearance from the time of the Nazi German occupation during World War II before the Ghetto was liquidated on March 14, 1943 when the majority of the residents were murdered there, while others met death in the nearby Liban quarry and Płaszów concentration camp, or in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bełżec; Kraków, Poland
“On March 21, 1941, the entire Jewish population residing in Kazimierz [a district of Kraków, Poland] were marched across the Silesian Uprisings Bridge [over the Wisla River] and crammed into what was to become known as the Podgórze Ghetto. Traces of the Ghetto still exist, including a prominent stretch of the wall on ul. Lwowska. Liquidated on March 14, 1943, the majority of the Ghetto’s residents were murdered there, while others met death in the nearbyLiban quarry and Płaszów concentration camp, or in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bełżec…. When Spielberg came to Kraków to produce his award-winning film Schindler’s List, the result was a fast and far-reaching revitalisation of Kazimierz, Kraków’s former Jewish district. Ironically, however, it didn’t reach across the river to Podgórze, despite the fact most of the film’s historic events took place there, as did much of the filming. As Kazimierz became super-saturated with tourists and bars, predictions were that Podgórze would emerge as Kraków’s next hip bohemian district; however aside from a small stable of rogue cafes, things were slow to develop and for a long time getting off the beaten path in Kraków was as easy as crossing the river to Podgórze…. The opening of the Schindler’s Factory Museum in 2010 not only did much towards helping the city bury the ghosts of the Holocaust, but it also established Podgórze as a bona fide tourist destination… Since the opening of Schindler’s Factory as a major attraction and the construction of the Bernatek footbridge creating a direct artery of tourist traffic into the district, that has begun to change, but Podgórze remains Kraków’s most mysterious and underappreciated neighbourhood.” — www.inyourpocket.com/krakow
![Plac Bohaterów Getta (Ghetto Heroes Square, formerly 'Plac Zgody'), the largest open space in the Kraków Ghetto [Polish- Podgórze], was renovated in 2005, sparking significant cont](https://richedwardsimagery.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/plac-bohaterocc81w-getta-ghetto-heroes-square-formerly-plac-zgody-the-largest-open-space-in-the-krakocc81w-ghetto-polish-podgocc81rze-was-renovated-in-2005-sparking-significant-cont.jpg?w=584)
Plac Bohaterów Getta (Ghetto Heroes Square, formerly ‘Plac Zgody’), the largest open space in the Kraków Ghetto [Polish: Podgórze], was renovated in 2005, sparking significant controversy over the design – it is laid out with 70 large well-spaced metal chairs meant to symbolize departure, as well as subsequent absence (becoming a memorial to the victims of the Kraków Ghetto), Poland
“Plac Bohaterów Getta (Ghetto Heroes Square, formerly ‘Plac Zgody’) was first plotted out in 1836 in Kraków, Poland. During the time of the Kraków Ghetto it was at once the source of the residents’ greatest relief and also the scene of their greatest horrors and humiliation. As the ghetto’s largest open space, Plac Zgody was a place for people to socialise, relax and escape the oppressive overcrowding of the tenements. It was also the site of families being torn apart, mass deportations to the death camps, beatings and executions. Finally, after decades of neglect, Plac Bohaterów Getta was renovated in 2005, sparking significant controversy over the design. Laid out with 70 large well-spaced metal chairs meant to symbolize departure, as well as subsequent absence, the entire square has essentially been turned into an odd, but iconic memorial to the victims of the Kraków Ghetto.” — www.inyourpocket.com/krakow
Tadeusz Pankiewicz’s pharmacy was situated on Plac Zgody – now called Ghetto Heroes Square — in Kraków’s Podgórze district (Kraków Ghetto), Poland; Tadeusz Pankiewicz was recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem on February 10, 1983, for rescuing countless Jews from the Holocasut
“Tadeusz Pankiewicz (November 21, 1908 – November 5, 1993 buried in Kraków), was a Polish Roman Catholic pharmacist, operating in the Kraków Ghetto during the Nazi German occupation of Poland. He was recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem on February 10, 1983, for rescuing countless Jews from the Holocasut… Under German Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II, Podgórze district was closed off in March 1941 as a ghetto for local area Jewry. Within the walls of the Kraków Ghetto there were four prewar pharmacies owned by non-Jews. Pankiewicz was the only proprietor to decline the German offer of relocating to the gentile (non-Jewish) side of the city. He was given permission to continue operating his establishment as the only pharmacy in the Ghetto, and reside on the premises. His staff were given passage permits to enter and exit the ghetto for work. The often-scarce medications and pharmaceutical products supplied to the ghetto’s residents, often free of charge, substantially improved their quality of life. In effect, apart from health care considerations, they contributed to survival itself. In his published testimonies, Pankiewicz makes particular mention of hair dyes used by those disguising their identities and tranquilizers given to fretful children required to keep silent during Gestapo raids. The pharmacy became a meeting place for the ghetto’s intelligentsia, and a hub of underground activity. Pankiewicz and his staff, Irena Drozdzikowska, Helena Krywaniuk, and Aurelia Danek, risked their lives to undertake numerous clandestine operations: smuggling food and information, and offering shelter on the premises for Jews facing deportation to the camps… In April 1983, the “Pod Orlem” pharmacy, located at No.18 Plac Bohaterów Ghetta (Ghetto Heroes Plaza, renamed), opened its doors as the Museum of National Remembrance, featuring the history of Kraków Jewry with special focus on the ghetto period. In 2003, it became affiliated with the municipal Historical Museum of Kraków. The wartime activities of Pankiewicz and his staff are featured in an exhibition on the history of the Jewish ghetto in Kraków. The pharmacy was featured in the Academy Award-winning film, Schindler’s List. The film’s director Steven Spielberg donated $40,000 for the building’s preservation, for which he was honored by the city of Kraków with its prestigious “Patron of Culture” award for the year 2004.” — Wikipedia
The Bima (with decorative doors) and the Torah Ark (Aron Hakodesh) in the restored Remuh Synagogue, Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland; dating from 1553, it is Kraków’s smallest but most active synagogue, with Shabbat services once again taking place here each Friday following the recent completion of restoration works
“Kazimierz – the district south of the Old Town between the Wisła River and ul. Dietla (where a tributary of the Wisła once flowed) was the center of Jewish life in Kraków for over 500 years, before it was systematically destroyed during World War II. Neglected during the communist era, Kazimierz became one of Kraków’s dodgiest districts before its rediscovery in the 1990s, thanks to the fall of the regime and worldwide exposure through the lens of Steven Spielberg, Kazimierz has since rebounded and is today arguably Kraków’s most exciting district – a bustling, bohemian neighbourhood packed with historical sites, atmospheric cafes and art galleries. Traces of Kazimierz’s Jewish history have not only survived, but literally abound in the form of the district’s numerous synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. In fact, no other place in Europe conveys a sense of pre-war Jewish culture on the continent better than Kazimierz. As a result, the district has become a major tourist draw and pilgrimage site for Jews, which has led to the return of contemporary Jewish culture in the area. Each summer since 1988 the massively popular Jewish Culture Festival has filled Kazimierz’s streets and cafes with music, while educating Kraków’s residents and guests about the city’s pre-war Jewish history and celebrating modern Jewish culture. The fact that it’s one of the year’s biggest parties proves that there’s more to Kazimierz than sepia photographs and old synagogues. Here – behind the shutters of dozens of antique shops and art galleries, and in the obscure courtyards cafes and shadowy bars centered around the former Jewish square known today as Plac Nowy — you’ll find a prevalent pre-war timelessness, and the heart of Krakow’s artistic, bohemian character.” — www.inyourpocket.com/krakow
“Dating from 1553, Remuh Synagogue & Cemetery (Synagoga Remuh z Cmentarzem) is Kraków’s smallest but most active synagogue, with Shabbat services once again taking place here each Friday following the recent completion of restoration works. The synagogue was established by the family of famous 16th century Polish rabbi Moses Isserles – better known as ‘the Rema,’ based on a Hebrew acronym, and is unique for the proximity of the Old Jewish Cemetery adjacent to it. In use until 1800, this holy burial ground fell into utter ruin during Nazi occupation with only a dozen tombstones surviving WWII in their original state; among them was that of Rabbi Moses Isserles, which many interpreted as proof of his miraculous power. After the war the cemetery was ‘tidied up’ with many of the intact tombstones being rearranged in straight rows, and fragments of those which could not be restored used to create a ‘wailing wall’ along ulica Szeroka. Today the cemetery and synagogue – whose modestly decorated interior features a reconstructed bimah and restored ceiling motifs – are an important pilgrimage site for devout Jews from all over the world.” — www.inyourpocket.com/krakow
A close up of the Torah Ark in Remuh Synagogue, Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland
Until 1800 the Old Jewish Cemetery (to which Remuh Synagogue is adjacent) fell into utter ruin during German Nazi occupation with only a dozen tombstones surviving WWII in their original state, Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland
A mural outside the Popper Synagogue in Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland, created by Arthur Szyk (June 16, 1894 in Łodź, Poland – September 13, 1951, Canaan, CT, USA), a Pole and a Jew who worked as an artist and (book) illustrator in Poland, France, Britain and the United States; he is best known for The Szyk Haggadah and his propaganda against Hitler
“In addition to the Remuh and Old Synagogues, there’s also a third synagogue on ulica Szeroka: that’s the Popper Synagogue, tucked behind a gated courtyard and nestled between the street’s Jewish restaurants. Built in 1620 by wealthy Jewish merchant Wolf Popper, the building was devastated during WWII such that none of its interiors survived; in fact little is known of them. Converted into a cultural centre (Dom Kultury) during the PRL era, the synagogue was only recently returned to the hands of the Jewish community and is now under the stewardship of Austeria — a publishing house and bookshop specializing in Judaica (literature, history and guide books in a number of languages). A colourful Jewish-themed mural can be found in the courtyard here [by the well known Polish artist, Arthur Szyk]. — www.inyourpocket.com/krakow
Temple Synagogue (Synagoga Tempel) is Kazimierz’s newest synagogue, dating back to 1862, Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland
“Temple Synagogue (Synagoga Tempel) is Kazimierz’s newest synagogue, dating back to 1862, with several later expansions, the most recent of which was in 1924. Under Nazi occupation the building was used as a warehouse and stables, yet survived the war and regular services were even held here until 1968, before stopping completely a decade later. Since restoration, the gilded woodwork within now plays host to many concerts and occasional religious ceremonies, particularly during the annual Jewish Festival of Culture each summer.” — www.inyourpocket.com/krakow
A close-up of the Torah Ark in Temple Synagogue (Synagoga Tempel), Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland
Since restoration, the gilded woodwork within Temple Synagogue (Synagoga Tempel), now plays host to many concerts and occasional religious ceremonies, particularly during the annual Jewish Festival of Culture each summer; Kazimierz (Jewish District), Kraków, Poland
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![For a main dish we enjoyed “Duck [confit] with apples, Old Polish style with pearl barley [kasha] and cabbage czerwony (red cabbage salad, not pictured)”; Restauracja Sasiedzi, Kazim](https://richedwardsimagery.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/for-a-main-dish-we-enjoyed-e2809cduck-confit-with-apples-old-polish-style-with-pearl-barley-kasha-and-cabbage-czerwony-red-cabbage-salad-not-picturede2809d-restauracja-sasiedzi-kazim.jpg?w=584)
Where in the world is Riccardo? 