Jewish Krakow

Krakow, the old royal city of Poland, is still considered the secret capital. It is home to a large number of undestroyed cultural sites, including Wawel, the old castle with its palace and cathedral. The old town with the Jewish residential district of Kaziemierz is also worth seeing and is a World Heritage Site.

In Kaziemierz, a district of Krakow in an arc of the Vistula, Jews have lived since the 15th century. Even today, there are still clear signs of Jewish life. I counted seven synagogues and three cemeteries.

But above all, this neighborhood is popular with locals and tourists because of its Jewish tradition, artistic scene and appealing eateries. Some things in this business seem strange, so the small cars für the tourists, who advertise puffery on signs „old Town - Ghetto – Auschwitz“ as tourist destinations.

The Häuser in Kaziemierz, the synagogues and the cemeteries are hardly destroyed, because the German occupiers wanted to preserve the buildings and facilities as a kind of museum for the „degeneration of the Jewish race“.

The following synagogues are still preserved in Kaziemierz:

• Old Synagogue
• High Synagogue
• Isaac Synagogue
• Kupa Synagogue
• Popper Synagogue
• Remuh Synagogue (next to the old Jüdish cemetery)
• Temple Synagogue

In Kaziemierz there were three cemeteries, two of which are still preserved.

In the Süden of Kaziemierz, beyond the Vistula, parts of the former ghetto can be found in the Podgorce district, for example a part of the wall, the ghetto pharmacy and also the remains of „Schindler's factory“. 

Just a few kilometers further south was the Plaszow concentration camp, where most people from the ghetto were killed. Today, lawns and several memorial stones commemorate the concentration camp.

Near this concentration camp area there were two Jewish cemeteries, one of which is still preserved in remnants.