Understanding the past in Krakow

Krakow was our next stop after Levoca. Getting there was an adventure in itself with snow coming down on us. Imagine, snow in May! Totally freak weather.

When we finally got to Krakow, luckily there was no snow, instead the weather was pleasant and lovely. We did two walking tours in Krakow, one regarding Krakow in general and one specifically about the Jews in Krakow.

The general tour started at St Mary’s Basilica. There is a bugle call every hour from the highest tower and people clap and wave to the guy who blows the bugle. Firemen are rotated in shifts to blow the bugle and apparently it’s quite the honor to get to do so. It was rather interesting, though I was thinking for the people who work there, it must be quite tiring to wave to the guy every hour. The tour took us around the Old Town and up to Wawel Hill where the royal castle, cathedral and royal tombs are.  We didn’t visit any of those though as they weren’t very appealing to us for some reason.

St Mary’s Basilica

For the Jewish tour, we headed to Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter. We watched Schindler’s List before arriving in Krakow so it was interesting for us to hear the guide explain some Jewish traditions, such as the Mezuzah, which Jews affix to the door frames of their house as a constant reminder of God’s presence, as well as the tradition for Jews when they visit a grave, to leave a small stone on the marker as a sign of respect. I must say the Jews in Poland really did have a very sad life. While they did enjoy a long period of stability and prosperity in Poland, everything changed in World War II. It is estimated that 90% (around 3 million) of Jews were annihilated which is frankly quite a shocking number. After the tour, we visited Oskar Schindler’s factory (http://www.krakow-info.com/schindler.htm), which has been converted into a museum about the war time experiences in Krakow under the Nazi occupation. The museum was really informative and I appreciate how the exhibits were displayed to bring about the true horror of what happened.

Memorial for Jews murdered during the liquidation of the Ghetto

The next day, we visited Auschwitz. I think nothing you have ever read or seen can prepare you when you actually visit it. The place had official guides who will be assigned to each group. Everyone has to follow the guide and we are not allowed to wander off by ourselves. Though the place was packed with visitors, it didn’t feel overly crowded. Some of the exhibits got a bit overwhelming and affected me quite a bit. It was a bit like how I felt when I went to the genocide museum in Phnom Penh, there is just this overwhelming feeling of sadness that totally engulfs a person. It is pretty astonishing how the Nazis got away with what they did, though in this day and age it would be pretty hard for someone to do the same.

One thing we realized was that the image of Auschwitz that we see in movies is actually Birkenau, which was even bigger than Auschwitz, and more horrific if that is even possible. Unlike Auschwitz, only the barracks and remains of the gas chambers are in Birkenau, it is however more than enough to convey what happened there. Words are a bit hard to express how we felt there, and all I can say is that you have to go there yourself to understand it.

We have no pictures from Auschwitz. CS felt it wasn't a place to be a tourist and any attempt to show the atrocities that happened there would not be enough. A visit is the only way to pay respect, to see for yourself and ensure nothing like this would ever happen again.

Our visit to Krakow may have ended on a really sad note, however we both really appreciate that we made a trip there.