Opened in 1940 following the Nazi annexation of Poland, Auschwitz was originally intended to be a prison for the large number of arrested Poles overwhelming existing local prisons. The first gassings of Soviet and Polish prisoners took place in 1941.
By 1942, Auschwitz had taken on a further role as the main “death camp” in Hitler’s mission to exterminate the Jewish people, known as the “Final Solution” or the Holocaust. Freight trains arrived from across Europe, delivering 1.3 million Jews from across Europe to Auschwitz, and the next door camp Birkenau, which opened in 1941 in order to keep with demand.
Those interned at Auschwitz were subject to the most horrific treatment, including forced labour, starvation, random executions and various forms of torture such as “medical experiments”. Over 1.1 million prisoners died at Auschwitz – meaning around a mere 200,000 survived their time at the camp.
As the Soviets approached the camp in January 1945, SS guards sent 58,000 prisoners that were still alive on ‘death marches’ west. Those too sick to go, or those who fell behind on the marches were shot. The Soviets arrived at Auschwitz on 27 January 1945, where they found 7,000 prisoners still alive.
Auschwitz was made up of three sections. The first and original “Auschwitz I” became the camp’s administrative centre, but also operated as part of the camp and was the original testing venue for gassing prisoners using Zyklon B. “Auschwitz II”, which was actually in the nearby town of Birkenau, became the main prisoner centre and a mass extermination site, while “Auschwitz III” was the main labour camp.
Auschwitz Museum is based at the original concentration camp site and offers visitors the chance to pass through the camp’s infamous arches bearing the chilling slogan of “Arbeit macht frei” or “Work will set you free”. Tours are compulsory between April and October if you arrive between 10am and 3pm, and can last several hours. If you’re not on a tour, it’s sensible to get a map and/or guidebook at the entrance – there’s a lot of ground to cover and the layout can be quite confusing.
Auschwitz gets busy, particularly in the summer: book ahead if you’re keen to go. It’s not a site that’s recommended for children under 13: the content is truly horrific in places. Today, Auschwitz is a site of contemplation, reflection and learning – it’s not unusual to feel shaken up after visiting. Treat the site with respect and if you’re taking photos, think about why you’re doing so.
Most visitors come to Auschwitz from Krakow: you can get a bus from the MDA Bus Station (behind the Krakow’s main railway station), which will drop you about 10 minutes from the site – it takes between 90 minutes and 2 hours depending on traffic. You can also get the train from Krakow to Oswiecim: from there, it’s a 20-30 minute walk or a 5 minute bus.
There are some direct shuttles from Krakow to Auschwitz but you’ll need to book in advance, particularly in the summer.
It should take just over an hour to drive from Krakow to Auschwitz: there is some parking on site, but it fills up quickly.
]]>Eros Bendato is the work of Igor Mitoraj, one of Poland’s most renowned sculptors, whose work on the human body is featured in most major cities of the world. Mitoraj studied at the Kraków School of Art under eminent painter Tadeusz Kantor in 1963, returning years later in 2003 to display a huge collection of his work, including Eros Bendato, in the Main Square.
The sculpture was gifted to Krakow, where its placement caused some controversy. Originally meant for placement outside of Galeria Krakowska, Mitoraj insisted his work did not belong outside of a commercial building and, despite protest from historians and locals, it was instead placed in the historic Main Square.
Much of his work centres on fragmented and tortured forms of the human body, mixing the classical sculpture of the ancient world with post-modern ideas of pain. His work often aims to address the beauty and fragility of the human body, exploring degeneration and decay in the process.
Today Eros Bendato – often affectionately referred to as ‘The Head’ – still sits in Krakow’s Main Square, and had become a well-loved tourist spot. Visitors come to admire Mitoraj’s intriguing work depicting Eros, the Greek god of love and desire, with his head laid horizontally to the ground.
Bandages cover his face, explaining the sculpture’s English translation ‘Eros Bound’, and symbolising the god’s imprisoned desires. Many have also suggested that the toppled figure represents the fall of civilisations and the corruption of man, a theme not unknown in Krakow’s long history of power exchange and usurpation.
While the sculpture’s meaning may be subtle, it provides an eery, eyeless backdrop for a photograph amongst the historic town centre, and is a reminder of modern art’s ability to combine the traditional with the strikingly new.
Eros Bendato is located in Krakow’s Main Square, just west of the Cloth Hall. It is a 10-minute walk from Wawel Castle and a 20-minute walk from the train station. The nearest bus and tram stop is Teatr Bagatela, a 5-minute walk away.
]]>Kazimierz was traditionally outlined by an old island in the Vistula River, on which 3 early medieval settlements are known to have sat. At the tip of the island lay Skałka, a significant pre-Christian Slavic shrine with a sacred pool, that in the 11th century was Christianised as the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. At this legendary site St Stanisław was martyred.
On 27 March, 1335 King Casimir III of Poland declared this area of Krakow to be named Kazimierz, after himself. Defensive walls were built around the area, and the new city was given special privileges.
Jews had long played an important role in Krakow’s cultural and economic life, and following devastating fires in 1494 many of the Jewish community were moved out of the ravaged Old Town and into Kazimierz. With permission, they built a wall around their new community which was gradually expanded as the Jewish population grew. The area became known as Oppidum Judaeorum – the Jewish City – and quickly installed itself as the community’s spiritual and cultural centre.
During World War Two, the Jews of Krakow were forced by the Nazis into the Podgórze ghetto across the river. When it was liquidated in 1942-3, most of its inhabitants were sent to extermination, slave-labour, and concentration camps including the nearby Auschwitz, and Kazimierz’s Jewish population was largely wiped out.
In 1988 however, a rejuvenation of the district’s culture began to occur with the annual Jewish Cultural Festival established. This became Europe’s largest Jewish festival of cultural and music, and helped to restore some of the area’s immense cultural and spiritual energy.
Today Kazimierz provides an atmosphere unlike any other in Krakow. Its historic streets remain as they did decades ago, while in some places striking murals breathe new life into the area. A number of historic Synagogues also feature throughout Kazimierz, including the impressive Old Synagogue that now houses a museum focused on Jewish history.
Dozens of restaurants and cafes welcome visitors to enjoy their unique menus, while the local market at Plac Nowy offers a host of delicious Polish delicacies. Singer Cafe is a particularly good spot to grab some food or a drink in the evening, with its moody interior and sewing machine tables an intriguing backdrop for a well-earned rest stop!
Kazimierz is located just south of Krakow Old Town, and is a 15-minute walk away from the Main Square. The nearest bus and tram stops are at Miodowa (on Starowislna) or Stradom (on Stradomska), both on the edge of the district.
]]>Kościuszko Mound was founded in 1820 as a memorial to Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish-Lithuanian military leader and national hero, following his death in 1817. He had fought for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and in 1794 led the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire and Kingdom of Prussia, and also on the American side during the War of Independence.
The mound was built to replicate that of Krakow’s two existing prehistoric mounds, Krakus and Wanda, both long considered the burial mounds of two of Poland’s legendary monarchs.
The project was funded by the donations of Poles living in all different areas of foreign occupation during the Partitions of Poland, and took 3 years to complete. Volunteers of all ages and class worked on its construction, reaching 112 ft upon completion.
Inside the mound, urns containing soil from the Polish and American battlefields where Kościuszko fought were buried, and atop the mound was placed a granite boulder inscribed ‘To Kościuszko’.
During Austrian occupation of Krakow, Austrian authorities built a brick citadel around the mound with the intention of using it as a strategic lookout. The Neo-Gothic Chapel of St. Bronisława was built to replace the one they destroyed, which still stands today.
Today the mound’s winding path takes you up to one of the best viewpoints in Krakow. Stunning views of the Vistula River, the city’s Old Town, and several Carpathian mountain ranges can be admired from the lush greenery of the mound and its surrounding area.
The encompassing fortifications can also be walked upon, and inside provide a number of historical exhibits on Kościuszko’s life. The beautiful Chapel of St. Bronisława may also be explored, and holds a number of items relating to the Polish hero’s life.
Kościuszko Mound is located atop the Blessed Bronislawa Hill in the western part of the Zwierzniec District, and just under an hour’s walk from the Main Square.
The nearest bus stop is Hofmana on Królowej Jadwigi, a 20-minute walk away, while tram stop Salwator is around a 25-minute walk to the top. There is a lot of walking uphill, so it may be easiest to get a taxi to the mound from Main Street, which would take around 10 minutes.
]]>Krakow Archaeological Museum was founded in 1850 originally as the Museum of Antiquity, by a group of intellectuals belonging to the Krakow Scientific Society (Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie, TNK). In the late 18th century, Poland was partitioned by the Habsburg Monarchy, ending the sovereignty of Poland and Lithuania for 123 years. As a result, foreign rule in the Austrian Partition did not allow the existence of patriotic Polish organisations except for learning societies such as the TNK.
The TNK had existed in Krakow since 1815 with its own division of Art and Archeology in 1848. Their priority for the museum was to collect archaeological finds from private donors, mostly notable Polish families, including the statue of Zbruch Idol (the museum’s symbol). The first exhibit opened at Krakow Archaeological Museum in 1857.
The museum was housed in what was originally the medieval Lubomirski Palace, known as ‘The Painted Mansion’. The 14th century fortress was later turned into a Carmelite monastery in the 17th century before becoming an infamous Austrian prison in the 19th century under Austrian rule.
The museum is divided into five permanent exhibitions: Gods of the Ancient Egypt, Prehistoric Pottery, The Garden of Ceramics, The Prehistory and Early Middle Ages of Lesser Poland, and The Carts of Bronocice, which includes the Bronocice Pot (3635–3370 BC) – a ceramic vase incised with the earliest known image of what may be a wheeled vehicle.
Do not miss the world’s only uncovered Slavonic god, the eight-foot stone idol of four-faced Swiatowit, found in the Zbruc riverbed in 1848. The idol was likely hidden during the 10th century when Kiev Russia accepted Christianity. There are also audio guides available.
While the museum is small, having explored the collections boasting over 500,000 objects, step outside to enjoy the beautiful garden offering views across Krakow, especially the Planty gardens next door.
Located in Krakow’s Stare Miastro or Old Town, the Krakow Archaeological Museum is easy to find on foot from other attractions. Via public transport, you can reach the museum by getting the trams 6, 8, 10, 13 and 18. There is a car park opposite the museum on Poselska street.
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The ground floor of Cloth Hall still operates as a market today while the Małopolska Contemporary Art Gallery and 19th Century Polish Art Gallery reside on its upper floors.
In the heart of the Krakow Old Town, the Cloth Hall, or Sukiennice as referred to locally, is one of the most important buildings in the district and was once of the heart of Krakow’s medieval clothing trade.
At beginning of the 14th century Krakow was a major trade hub of eastern Europe and merchants came from all over the region to trade their wares in the middle of the city centre. Around this time planners decided to build permanent covering over the main lines of stalls on the plaza that would allow trade in all weather, especially with the harsh Polish winters. This structure became the first iteration of the Cloth Hall.
Around the middle of the 16th century a major fire damaged the Cloth Hall beyond repair. It was then rebuilt in a redevelopment project that shaped the building in its noteworthy renaissance style. In this period, the city and Cloth Hall enjoyed prosperity.
After Krakow lost its status as the royal capital of Poland in 1569 when the court was moved to Warsaw, the Cloth Hall and much of Old Town entered a long period of decline.
Towards the end of the 19th century, there was a thorough renovation resulting in the building as it stands today. Arcaded galleries were added, the facade was totally reconstructed, the upstairs museum space as created and the designs of Polish architect Tomasz Pryliński were used to give the whole structure an ochre veneer.
The hall has hosted many distinguished guests over the centuries and has been used to entertain monarchs and dignitaries, such as Charles, Prince of Wales and Emperor Akihito of Japan, who was welcomed there in 2002. In the past, balls were held there, most notably after Prince Józef Poniatowski had briefly liberated the city from the Austrians in 1809.
In 1976, the band The Who played an “intimate” gig for Polish and British embassy workers, working in Poland.
On the upper floor of the hall is the Sukiennice Museum division of the National Museum, Kraków. It holds the largest permanent exhibit of the 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture, in four grand exhibition halls arranged by historical period and the theme extending into an entire artistic epoch.
Today, the Cloth Hall still bustles with the energy of countless sellers and traders, only now its craft trinkets, amber, souvenirs and novelty shot glasses that take centre stage. It also still reigns as one of the most recognisable features of the Main Market Square.
The Cloth Hall dominates the bustling main market square in Old Town and is accessible by bus and tram.
]]>Prior to the invasion of Poland in 1939, Krakow had a significant Jewish population – between 60,000 and 80,000 people – which had existed in the city since the 13th century. Persecution of the Jewish population began almost immediately after the Nazis arrived, and many were conscripted to carry out forced labour in September 1939.
Further forms of discriminatory sanctions were employed, including forcing those of Jewish descent to wear armbands and closing all synagogues. However, when the Krakow Ghetto was created in the district of Podgórze, the occupying army took their campaign a step further, moving 15,000 Jewish Poles into an area that had previously housed just 3,000 residents.
The Krakow Ghetto was a closed ghetto meaning it was guarded, and anyone who left needed authorised paperwork in order to do so. Life in the ghetto was bleak and Jewish cultural practices were hard to keep alive. Music, however, played a large part in the ghetto as a way of keeping spirits up.
Conditions were dire within the confines of the Krakow Ghetto walls and, as well as operating as a holding place in which to categorise Jews according to whether they were fit to work, it was also a form of oppression. In 1942, Krakow Ghetto was closed and all of its inhabitants were sent to concentration camps.
Some inhabitants of Krakow Ghetto were saved during the War by Oskar Schindler, whose famous Schindler’s List was made into a film by Hollywood director, Stephen Spielberg. His factory is nearby. Another famous movie director, Roman Polański is a survivor of Krakow Ghetto.
There are two stretches of Ghetto Wall remaining: one 12m stretch backing onto an old ghetto house with a commemorative plaque in both Hebrew and Polish, the other a much lower, less obvious fragment tucked away in a park behind a school.
The main fragment of ghetto wall is south of the river in Stare Podgorze. Two of Krakow’s main train stations, Zablocie and Podgorze are a 5 and 10 minute walk away respectively. Trams 6, 11 and 13 stop on Limanowskiego, a couple of minutes away.
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