My visit to the area of Krakow's Jewish ghetto was like a live lesson of the history of Krakow's Jews during WWII.
After walking along the waterfront, I reached the year-old steel-arched Footbridge, a pedestrian-and bike friendly river crossing that links the Jewish district of Kazimierz and Podgorze.
Unforgettably moving!!!
Walking a little farther, I reached the Ghetto Heroes Square, the ghetto's largest open space that was not only a place for people to socialize relax and escape the oppressive overcrowding of the tenements, but also the site of families being torn apart, mass deportations to the death-camps, beatings and executions.
Nowadays, it's the most iconic place in the district. It's laid out with 70 large well-spaced metal chairs meant to symbolize departure, as well as subsequent absence. The entire square has essentialy turned into an evocative memorial to the victims of the Krakow Ghetto.
Now, let's go to Kazimiers, the district that housed Jews for over 500 years. Since the end of last century, it has been rediscovered and its Jewish culture gradually reintroduced. It has become famous for its associations with Schindler and Spielberg. Accessed via an archway, the cobbled courtyard is instantly recognizable from Schindler's List.
Now, let's go to Kazimiers, the district that housed Jews for over 500 years. Since the end of last century, it has been rediscovered and its Jewish culture gradually reintroduced. It has become famous for its associations with Schindler and Spielberg. Accessed via an archway, the cobbled courtyard is instantly recognizable from Schindler's List.
But Kazimiers is much more than what you see above... its true vitality and much of the mystique dating from the past is still carried today... Let's discover this historic Jewish quarter...
Brilliant blog Belita and your photos always tell a story or cheer a person up. You certainly get to some very interesting places.
ReplyDeleteand may we never forget. Hauntingly beautiful and desperately touching, , a place I have always wished to visit, myself, due to my fathers side of the family being from Jewish background. I think I have read every history and fiction book available about the holocaust and about the Krakow jews.............. wonderful that they are restoring the place and keeping the history alive. Your photographs are unbelivable real.
ReplyDeleteThank you darling for sharing.
Absolutely brilliant! Wow! So very profound and excellent captures. Thank you so much for sharing :) xxx
ReplyDeleteI will share this with my kids tonight. Wow! Great pics
ReplyDeleteThanks,Cina, I believe they'll understand how Jews had a very tragic history. No 'key' can ever delete so much suffering, so much cruelty...
DeleteVisiting streets like these can be a heartbreaking experience. I was in Prague and Wienna a couple of years ago, and both had statues that reminded us about hard times in the past years. Odd that these horrible things could happen in our Europe.
ReplyDeleteVery good blog, Belita!
I visited this area with a friend two years ago, she expressed it as "large scale of dynamic energy shifting". We didn't stay too long.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful collection of photos, thanks for a most interesting tour. It is such an interesting city, and the Jewish Quarter has so much history. Not only the dark and terrible days of World War Two, but also it's longer history. You have captured it so well!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting tour of the Jewish Quarter in Krakow. What a good way to commemorate those dark days of the Holocaust. I met a student this week whose grandmother survived the Holocaust. We should never allow these events to become only historical facts.
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