THE END OF THE JEWISH TOWN
Nazi Occupation of Kraków
Before the Nazi Occupation of Kraków, the Jews had been leaving in Kraków for 700 years. It wasn’t always a peaceful coexistence but sooner or later the agreement was always reached. Therefore, the Jews were able to build here their town with synagogues and ritual buildings and contribute to developement of Kraków. That’s why during this tour we will firstly visit Szroka Street – the mains street of the old Jewish Town with its synagogues and Jewish restaurants, to talk about times when Jews and Poles coexisted in one town.
Unfortunately, WWII and Nazi occupation brought a tragic end to Jewish community in Krakow. The Nazis introduced racial segregation and anti-Semitic laws and eventually led to extermination of almost all Kraków’s Jews. During this tour you can learn about the drama of WWII, crimes against Jewish community but also about heroes who opposed the destruction and courage of ordinary people fighting for survival.
Most importantly, we will visit the Square of the Heroes of the Ghetto to see a memorial commemorating Kraków’s Jews murdered during WWII. We will talk about ghetto, Pharmacy under the Eagel and we will se the onle piece of the Ghetto Wall. In addition, we will walk to the Schindler’s Factory and visit the museum of Nazi Occupation of Kraków in 1939-1945. This unique exhibition allows you to understand the mechanisms of terror and explains how Poles and Jews were treated under Nazi occupation.
Due to the issues discussed, this trip has a sad character and the stories may contain some brutal details, which is why I recommend it to people interested in the history of war and ready to hear about such serious matters.