Krakow jewish culture delight

Kazimierz

July 5 2019. Going through Poland we went to the second city of the country, Krakow. Like in Prague the Jewish quarter is quite impressive and their presence is a showroom of diversity. The Kazimierz district south of the Old Town was the centre of Jewish life in the city. From the XVI century to the Second World War it reunited a quarter of Krakow's 65'000 Jews. 

Since the heart enjoy legends here's the one for Krakow: in February 1335, two years after his coronation, king Kazimiers III gives the urban privilege to jews for their settling in the new city named after himself, Civitas Kazimiriensis. The romance had started when the king fell madly in love with the beautiful Jewish Esterka. It was then the first and biggest city founded by the king Kazimierz.

After that, many wonders and great stories were built by the jewish community although passing through tribulations. The biggest one would arrive through the hands of the madness of nazi ideology. But before that, in the communist era it became one of Krakow's dodgiest districts while gradually falling into disrepair. 

Rediscovered in the 1990s, thanks to the fall of the regime and worldwide exposure through the lens of Steven Spielberg, Kazimierz has rebounded and is today krakow's most exciting district. A touristic site states "in fact, no other place conveys a sense of pre-war Jewish culture better than Kazimierz.

As a result, the district has become a major tourist draw and pilgrimage site for Jews, which has led to the return of contemporary Jewish culture in the area".

Swastika nightmare

The nazis begin Europe's nightmare upon their neighbor Poland on September 1939. From there onwards their Blitzkrieg was galvanized to pursue the 1000 years Reich.

When the German army entered Krakow they brought military intelligence agents to the city and one of such agents is Oskar Schindler.

The nazis took around 400 thousand soldiers of the Wojsko Polskie prisoners. Despite the defeat the Polish did not capitulate and continue facing the Nazis on the countryside. 


The nazi Hans Frank was Poland's general governor and he was really motivated to put the good people of Poland to work. Only a few weeks after the occupation it sets up a decree ordering poles between 14 and 60 years old to work, then he gradually extends to 10 hours of labour a day.

For me its impressive to see that this new philosophy to see human beings as work force have been planned before the war and it was not only meant for jews but for everyone. The Arbeitskarte (work card) was set to control everyone's work situation and it became a document even more important than the Kennkarte (German ID that was applied during the occupation) since it could protect its holder from forced deportation to work in the Reich.

Today Schindler brings a new sensation to Krakow and the "Fabrika Schindlera" became an essential place given a global view not only of Schindler's actions but of the war and of the jewish polish culture.

He who saves one life saves the world

Talmud

One surviver gives this wonderful testimony:
"And how many worlds did Oskar Schindler save? If it weren't for him, there would not be me, and there wouldn't be my family either, nor our descendants - my daughter and my two grandchildren, my brother Rysio's two sons, my cousin Olek's children, (...) the children and grandchildren of the others saved by Scindler. (...) So how many he really save then, when he saved 1,200 people? They are countless... 

Useful sites
Schindler's Factory  - https://www.muzeumkrakowa.pl/exhibitions/krakow-under-nazi-occupation-1939-1945

Synagogue Remuh à Cracovie  - https://www.cracovie.fr/synagogue-remuh


Log book: July 5th 2019 - 144 Kms * Pays: PL

Coordonnées
Old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz  -  50° 3'3.11"N 19°56'59.22"E
Synagogue Remuh à Cracovie - 50° 3'9.61"N 19°56'50.41"E

Jewish Square - 50° 3'7.63"N 19°56'53.68"E

Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik (Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory) - 50° 2'50.64"N 19°57'42.29"E

Slovakia: charming sites

Banska Stiavnica

July 4 2019. The day was underlined by two UNESCO touristic places. First Banska Stiavnica, considered as a medieval village of strong attraction. The medieval traces however are quite tarnished by modern improvements: the buildings are taller than the medieval average and the structures and architecture obviously of sooner construction. 

The streets are wider than the expected. It is quite obvious that later improvements were taken in the XVI century. UNESCO states “the town of Banská Štiavnica, the oldest mining town in Slovakia, was established in the 13th century, although evidence of mining dates back to the late Bronze Age. 

While it served as an important town during the middle Ages, the surviving urban centre was formed during the 16th century. The grand Late Gothic and Renaissance burgher houses, the town hall, and the Late Gothic Church of Saint Catherine characterize it. In the same era, a fortification system was built which has visible remains in the fortress of the Old Castle, the Renaissance watchtower of the New Castle, and the only surviving of the town gates – the Baroque-style Piarg Gate.” 

Vlkolinec

On the other hand in the afternoon we hit the asphalt to reach Vlkolinec in the mountain, north of the Carpathians. This time Unesco’s World Heritage deserves well its attribute (obviously my opinion) and it describes as “a remarkably well preserved rural medieval settlement featuring wooden architecture typical of hillside and mountain areas. 

Its layout, defined in part by the hilly terrain of the mountains of Veľká Fatra, features log houses situated on narrow lots with stables, barns and smaller outbuildings in the rear. A canalized stream flows through the centre of the village. The surrounding landscape is formed by narrow strips of fields and pastures with haylofts, protected from the north by the Sidorovo Hill.” 

The structures, the style and the architecture were little modified through time and that keeps the charm of the site intact.

Vlkolinec it is also one of the ten Slovak villages that has the status of folkloric architecture village. This one really deserved the visit. Also an interesting point is that half of the village is still inhabited and the photos the tourists take each time don’t impress the locals. Two of the nice people assured me the touristic interest goes all year long.

Korytnica

Another dark site that made my curiosity up to bring me in the mountains of central Slovakia. A quite famous spa and sanatorium complex with a reach mineral water that still is running. I couldn't drink more that a few sips from the local fountain, since it is really really strong and made my stomach immediately roar. But the locals keep coming fill in their 1,5 bottles God knows what for, maybe to cleanup the pipes or for feet treatment.

Nevertheless Korytnica had renown guests such as Austrian emperor Franz Josef and the Slovak nationalist hero Ludovít Štúr. Popular during the communist era now it's an abandoned site that makes the day for photographers.

Useful sites
Vlkolinec  - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/622/

Banska Stiavnica  - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/618
Korytnica - http://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/slovakia/15-countries/individual-chapters/1131-korytnica

Log book: July 4th 2019 - 439 Kms * Pays: SK-PL * Frontiers: 1 (SK-PL)  

Coordonnées
Banska Stiavnica  -  48°27'29.00" 18°53'47.00"E
Vlkolinec -  49° 2'20.70"N 19°16'41.43"E

Korytnica -   48°53'20.40"N 19°17'6.00"E