Krakow Old Town and Krakow Jewish Quarter: Day 9

 

Welcome to Krakow. Here is the traditional north entrance to the royal city. The outside fortification is called Barbakan, built in the 1400s,  and in the background of the photo you can also see St Florian's Gate, one of the direct entrances to the Old Town.

This is a closer view of St Florian's Gate, providing another level of protection for the old royal city. And yes, Krakow is the first city on our itinerary where we've had to walk on snow.

The view of Old Town from the north entrance. Ahead is Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, an area of international trade from the 1400s. This large building still holds many stalls where crafters sell amber jewelry, wooden boxes and figurines, porcelain dishwear, leather goods, folk costumes, and many more types of products interesting to travelers.

Among many significant things we learned was that the young priest Karol Wojtyla, who grew up to be Pope John Paul II, studied and worked in Krakow.  Those buildings directly related to his life are so designated on the exterior. See two examples, below.

We made our way to Wawel Hill where Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral are still integral parts of Polish life. And where some souvenirs were bought.

Our first view of the castle

In the cathedral courtyard

In the castle courtyard

Another day at a castle!

From Wawel we moved to the Jewish Quarter, which is called Kazimierz after King Kazimierz III the Great declared this tract of land a new town in 1335. The land was very important as it connected Krakow with the salt mines at Wieliczka, the source of the region's wealth.

Jews had been living in Malopolska since the 1200s and were not restricted to a particular region until later in history (just as Maria Theresa expelled Jews from Prague as we learned earlier during this travel seminar).

To the left is the town fortification wall and the Old Synagogue is on the right.

Here is the other side of the fortification wall.

Remuh Synagogue, constructed in the 16th Century, is still in use. It was originally named after the famous philosopher and writer Moses Isserles, aka Rabbi Remu'h.

The front of Remu'h Synagogue (and tour cars obstructing the view)

The wrought-iron enclosure around the bimah is crafted to the regional styles; this particular one is a reconstruction following WWII.

The Remu'h Cemetery was saved from German destruction by reposing the tombstones on the ground; hence, going unnoticed.

We continued to the former Jewish Ghetto, which was opened in March 1941. When Germany invaded Poland there were approximately 68,000 Jewish families in the region. German officers demanded their expulsion from Krakow in May 1940, even prior to setting up the Jewish ghetto. By the time the ghetto was opened only 15,000 Jewish families remained. Families could only bring in personal possessions up to 25 kilograms of weight; anything over was confiscated by the German Trust Office.

Ghetto Heroes Square, looking toward Eagle Pharmacy. Owned by Tadeusz Pankiewicz, he convinced Germans to keep the pharmacy open and was instrumental in assisting Jewish families in the ghetto.

The German occupation of Poland led to restrictions that were imposed and tightened. Some photos from the Schindler Factory Museum:

Another day of reminders of how "us" and "them" decisions from 1933 resulted in tragic deaths of millions of innocent humans in the 1940s. Antisemitism was the foundational thought of the Nazis. And hatred of all except oneself propelled them until Germany's defeat. Over and over we are reminded that the small decisions we make today will have an impact tomorrow. To say "never again" we need to understand the past. Our studies have made us very aware of this brutal past. 

But, to end on a lighter note, students and professors enjoyed dinner in the Jewish quarter and were treated to a concert of Klezmer music by a wonderfully talented trio of musicians. 

Watch a short video of the music concert here:

Klezmer Music January 11, 2024

 

Chechia to Poland travel day: Day 8

Today we needed to travel from Prague to Krakow, which is more than 300 miles. We didn't plan any detailed tours today but we made a learning experience of our lunch stop in Olomouc, Czechia. 

Who did we see in Olomouc? Sigmund Freund. He lived in this town for a month as military medical staff

Some of the monuments in Old Town Olomouc.

Holy Trinity Column, built in the early 1700s. It is the biggest sculptural grouping in Czechia.

The astronomical clock was first built in the 15th Century and was renovated several times.

Be the first to let us know why a huge turtle graces Olomouc old town!

And after more driving, we reached Poland, where we saw our first ground snow during this trip. The snow appears to be a few days old and we hope no new snow will be added.

St Mary's Basilica, Adam Mickiewicz statue, and Christmas decorations. Here in Poland Christmas is celebrated until February 2, Candlemas.

Spires of Wawel Castle rise above Krakow.

Terezin (Theresienstadt) Camp: Day 7

 

It becomes necessary to roll one's eyes and shake one's head as we read Hitler's words yet again. How is it possible that he was the instigator but also let others think he was the victim?  And why were so many so eager to hang on every word he said?

Today we visited the camp Terezin (Theresienstadt) about an hour from Prague.  A garrison was located there, called the Small Fortress, and German soldiers filled that in the early war years. As the Red Army approached and Germans left, the Russians used that same garrison to detain German soldiers. 

The Small Fortress also used the Arbeit Macht Frei sarcastic sign

Terezin also was thought of as a resort town since it is named after Queen Maria Theresa. And the town itself became a waystation or transit point for prisoners taken there.  Many elderly Jews were taken there, as well as those more well-to-do and/or famous. Barracks were set up for older and younger men, boys, girls, mothers with young children, women, and the elderly. The local residents were asked to evacuate their homes and whole families of prisoners could take over a house or apartment.

Jewish prisoners built a prayer room (locals call a synagogue) in a private Terezin home.

More than 15,000 children were imprisoned in Terezin. How does one do this to children? There is no reason why 15,000 children, or even one child, should be imprisoned. While it was common for children to have classes and lessons and hobbies there, nonetheless imprisonment is not for children, in our estimation. Below are examples of some artwork found at Terezin and produced by its children.

By the end of WWII, only about a thousand of Terezin's children survived.

Old Prague and Jewish Quarter: Day 6

 We deepened our knowledge of Prague with a walking tour of almost four hours.

Prague Castle rises high above the city

Prague was founded in the 10th Century and reached a magnificent status in the 1300s under the rule of Charles IV, who was a Holy Roman Emperor and Bohemian king. Charles took residence in Prague and therefore he did much to develop life in Prague with the founding of Charles University, construction of the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River, and the design and start of St Vitus Cathedral. Charles also welcomed back the Jewish community, and encouraged the growth of the Jewish Quarter, called Josefov.

King Charles IV

The Municipal House - includes a concert hall and other public facilities

House of the Golden Ring - a medieval site with a Gothic portal

Our students and the famous astronomical clock

Charles Bridge, with Prague Castle rising in the background

Tribute to native son Franz Kafka

Prague's Jewish neighborhoods date back to the late 900s and Prague has been home to Jewish residents off and on for hundreds of years. In the more recent past, under the reign of Queen Maria Theresa Jews were expelled from Prague (circa 1744) but returned to the city after the Edict of Tolerance was decreed in 1782 by Emperor Joseph II. The Jewish Quarter, called Josefov, includes several synagogues which we visited today.

A wall in Pinkas Synagogue lists the concentration camps where Prague Jews were taken

Names in yellow are towns, in red are surnames. and in black are given names.

These are samples of the more than 70,000 names of Prague Jews who were killed in the Shoah. They are listed on the synagogue's walls according to the last known place of residence. May their memory be a blessing.

Maisel Museum includes a flyover video of the Jewish Quarter (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noMwDl8BofM )

Maisel is no longer an active synagogue but serves as a museum. Note the special "cap" within the Star of David which serves as special insignia to the Jews of Prague.

Below, an artifact from Terezin, which we will visit tomorrow. This young artist-child, with such artistic talent and imagination, perished for no good reason. The artifact now rests in Pinkas Synagogue.

Dobrý Den! Arrival in Czechia: Day 5

 

Photo with "our" sign while we wait for the rest of the group.

There's nothing like seeing a big welcome sign to feel our hosts' happiness at our arrival. Yes, we are now in Prague and ready for another new chapter of our travel seminar.

We stopped at Lidice, Czechia en route from Nuremberg to see the Lidice massacre memorial and museum. With less than 500 people in population, on June 10, 1942 Hitler's forces liquidated the entire town, killed all males aged 15+, moved all females aged 16+ to Ravensbruck, and the 90 children who lived in the town were either taken to re-education centers to learn to be Germans or were adopted by SS families. Only 17 of those children survived. 

The loss of lives and town was in retribution for the death of Reinhard "the hangman" Heydrich, an SS deputy leader who died after the car he was driving in was destroyed by a homemade explosive. Hitler decided to set an example not to attack his men.

Once again our class considers the Nazi's choice to kill so many people, 500 for one, and destroy a whole town's infrastructure too. Brutal, senseless, irrational.

memorial to the lost children

memorial to the mothers

mass grave of the town men who died by being shot by SS men

After we concluded our visit to Lidice, we continued our journey to Prague. Our evening walk to the Old Town included a visit to the famous astronomical clock. After all, we have to get our steps in and what a lovely destination, too! We are averaging around 15,000 steps per day; despite today's five-hour drive we still got more than 12,000 steps in.

we missed the performance at the top of the hour, but it's still a beautiful artifact

Prague at night

St Nicholas Church