Our morning started with a tour of Schindler’s Factory – the building had housed the administration of the actual factory. It is now a museum devoted to the five years of Nazi occupation. I thought this was one of the better museums we visited. The invasion of Poland was shown on a map – what happened every day from the invasion on September 1, 1939 until Poland capitulated on September 27.
In the window outside the museum entrance were photos of all the people that Schindler had saved…and a very touching quote.
Old Jewish District of Krakow
This area of Krakow was started in the fourteenth century and lasted until the Nazi’s forced the Jewish residents out. The area was mostly neglected by during the communist rule. The area has been revitalized since 1988.
RIGHT: Old Jewish Cemetery – outside of the Remuh Synagogue. It is one of the few active synagogues left in Krakow.
LEFT: Nissenbaum Fountain – a memorial in memory of the Jewish victims of WW II. Before the war there were 70,000 Jew in Krakow after the war about 4,400 resurfaced. By early 1946 with Jews returning from the Soviet Union the population grew to 10,000. But pogroms in 1945 and 1946 and the murder of individual Jews led most to emigrate. By the 1990 there were only a few hundred left living in Krakow.
NOTE: We did visit the Remuh Synagogue…but I have no photos.
These stairs appeared in the movie Schindler’s List.
Bernatek footbridge
After our tour of the Jewish District, I walked along the river to photograph the acrobats on the Bernatek Footbridge. The acrobats are an art installation titled, “Between the water and sky” by Polish artist Jerzy Keziora. The bridge had a natural division – like two lanes. I looked at the light and shadows to see from which side I would get the best photos, raised my camera – and shot. I kept thinking – “not many pedestrians, but LOTS of bikes”. After finishing my shooting, I walked off the bridge noticing that the people were on one side of the bridge and the bikes on the other – there were signs posted on which side you belonged. I clearly was on the bike side. But the bicyclists were so nice, no one even rang their bell at me
RIGHT: In the Vistula River is another art installation by local artist, Mateusz Okonski.
LEFT: The bridge like so many in Europe have the requisite locks…
That evening we were treated to a kiezmer show, which is traditional eastern European music.
On the walk back to the hotel I got a few night shots.
Fountain outside our hotel
