2024 Blog & Images - Poland

2024 Poland

Day 5 - Krakow

Finally, a bed to sleep in without the prospect of an early morning flight. The previous two days have been extremely tiring so having the opportunity to keep my feet on the ground is a godsend.

The Jewish Ghetto memorial was the first place to visit (after breakfast and finally sorting out my transport ticket). Zgody Square, or the Ghetto Heroes Square, is an open area that is populated by empty chairs. The chairs symbolise the furniture and possessions left behind by the Jewish residents, deported to the death camps such as Belzec. I did read that each chair represents 1,000 victims of the Nazi occupation (how true that is I’m not sure). I didn’t get time to go into the adjourning museum, but the space is a poignant, thought-provoking memorial.

I honestly wasn’t quite sure what to expect at my next stop, the Oskar Schindler Factory Museum. What I found was a site that told the story of Schindler but also the Jewish experience throughout the German occupation of Krakow. The museum is designed in a chronological fashion taking you through pre-1939 up to 1944 and the eventual defeat of the Germans by the Soviet Union. You can’t help but feel like you engulfed by the history of the place, especially when you arrive at Schindler’s office and desk where he helped to save over 1,200 lives. The images, the approach of the museum and artefacts that are on display all helped to provide a greater understanding of this specific piece of history. The only word of warning is look out for large, guided groups. Some areas within the museum are small and parties of 15 can tend to crowd spaces. Stay ahead of them and you’ll be fine.

From the factory, it was a short walk to one of the two remaining parts of the Krakow Ghetto Wall that is still standing. In a residential area, I was unaware of the history of the area until after I had visited. The treatment of those held within the walls, especially after the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, was something that I personally couldn’t comprehend. Might try and search a little more tomorrow into this area.

After a recharge for not only the phone but myself, I had a wander into the Old Town in the failing light. While Krakow has experienced its share of sadness, it certainly has its fair share of beauty. Walking around the Market Square highlights the past as well as recent times in the history of this wonderful city. One of the places which really stood out was St Mary’s Basilica. I have been blessed to walk through some amazing places of worship in my travels, but this structure is equally as beautiful in its own way to anywhere I have been. To try and describe what I saw could never adequately capture the visual impact that it had on me. Other structures such as the Cloth Hall make this a special place to visit.

On my way home disaster struck. I went to an ATM and the machine decided to keep my bank card. Whoever said technology is your friend was definitely not referring to this particular machine. Oh well, nothing I can do but stake out the bank tomorrow and get it back … hopefully.

Jewish Ghetto

Oskar Schindler's Factory

Old Town

Day 6 - Krakow

Well, the saga of the lost debit card came to a conclusion this morning. ATM machine 1 – Citibank Debit card – 0. Probably the biggest pain in the bum was that it totally mucked up my plans to go to the Salt Mines. Turns out the card was split by the machine so I will have to get in touch with the bank at some stage to sort a few issues. Anyway, I couldn’t do anything about it so best get on with the trip.

The forced change of plans led to the site of the former Płaszów Concentration camp memorial. This was the camp that featured in the film Schindler’s List and seemed appropriate after yesterday’s visit to Schindler’s factory. What I found on arrival was to be honest, a work in progress. The site of the memorial is in the process of being rejuvenated as the site has been relatively neglected over the years. First thing I stumbled across was a building names “The Grey House”. This served as an office for the Camp Commandant Amon Göth and other SS officers during the camp’s existence. It was said that Göth used to take pot-shots at the inmates (which in the film it was depicted as happening from his lodgings). The more you walk through the site, the more you are confronted with its former usage. The ruins of a cemetery building (blown up by Göth & the SS), the remains of the old Jewish cemetery and other memorials, most notably the Monument to the Victims of Fascism. I would love to come back one day and see what they do with the site based on what I could see happening. The weather wasn’t overly kind so it was back to the motel and a recharge for the phone and myself.

Seeing it was my last day, I took the opportunity to utilise the last rays of sunlight and check out the areas of the Old Town that I had missed yesterday. Landmarks like the Florian Gates, the Barbakan and the Grunwald Monument keep reinforcing the history that envelops this city. There is so much beauty in the place and unfortunately so little time to see it. The Grunwald Monument was of interest to me after seeing some of the remains at the Schindler’s Factory. It was first established to celebrate a victory over the Teutonic Knights in the 1400’s. The Nazi’s didn’t take a shine to this as it tended to go against their belief system. The monument was destroyed in 1940 and eventually rebuilt in 1976. A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also placed in front of the statue. Churches, Castles, horse-drawn carriages, and pretzel-sellers were among the many things I stumbled across in a couple of hours of wandering.

The day finished off with dinner with Lisa & Dave Towson at the Mercure. It was a re-enactment of our dinner in Tokyo a few years back sans Tracy and Jess. Travelling solo does have a few upsides but it was a treat to hear familiar voices. A few laughs, a bit of a chinwag, maps from Patryk (front of house at the Mercure) and directions to the ING bank for Dave topped off a great night and stay in Krakow. Tomorrow it’s Katowice and the following day, Auschwitz.

Płaszów Concentration Camp Memorial Site

Old Town

Day 7 - Krakow & Katowice

To be honest, after the past few days I was looking for a bit of an easy day, so the train trip did come at the right time. I had a great time in Krakow but it was now all about doing what was needed for the next couple of days.

Once I booked into the Mercure opposite from the train station, I decided to go for a little wander around the city centre. The town revolved around coal mining so I can imagine what it must have been like in its heyday. Today however, the city seems to be presenting a changing face. The Christmas market was still going and even though I was seeing it in daytime, it was still nice to get that little bit of European Christmas feel. While not as extensive as some that I have seen in the past, it was still pretty and full of charm. Another feature that I have noticed both here and in Krakow are the reminders of Polish resistance and their fight for independence. Two prominent memorials were the monument to the September Heroes (1939 resistance to Nazism) and the Silesian Uprising memorial, dedicated to the uprisings that followed the end of WWI. Throw in a mix of Soviet Brutalist architecture from the Cold War period and modern buildings and sports facilities and you have a city that is ushering in the dawn of a new age.

Content with my wanderings, it was back to the motel for dinner and an early rise in the morning for my trip to Auschwitz.

Day 8 - Auschwitz

This blog entry is a tough one as today’s experience is a very difficult one to adequately describe. I have been wanting to visit Auschwitz ever since I visited Sachsenhausen back in 2015 with Tracy. If the truth be known, I have been wanting to visit for longer but that was the key moment when the fire was well and truly lit. Staying in Katowice allowed me a shorter trip after a short walk from the station, I arrived for my 9.30am, 6-hour study tour. The weather itself was a little miserable but it was appropriate in visiting a site such as this. Only having 3 other people on the tour would also be a godsend based on the numbers I saw in a few of the groups. I can only imagine how crowded this place would get in summer based on the numbers I saw today. While it was crowded at times, it was nice to see so many people here.

The first part of the trip took us around Auschwitz I where we were greeted with the Arbeit Macht Frei sign over the gate. The buildings and signs while knowing what they represented is something that you can deal with. It was more the personal belongings and pics that are the hardest to deal with. The room with hair really struck home and even though people tell you about this exhibit, nothing can really prepare you for it. The suitcases with the names and 1,000’s of shoes reinforce the sheer distain for human life. There was a pair of red shoes that stood out to me. Whether it was a link to the girl Schindler’s List or the contrast against the dull leather boots that surrounded them, they certainly struck a chord. The rest of Auschwitz I was equally confronting and emotionally exhausting, from the photos of victims to other equally personal exhibits.

A 10-minute break and we were on a bus to Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Here is where the iconic tower and railway line is and basically what most people liken the camp to. We had the opportunity to go up to the top of tower and view the camp from the same place, the SS would have overseen the operations. To think that over 1.1 million were killed at this site is a number that defies any reasonable attempt to comprehend. From here it was a view of one of the men’s wooden barracks and further on to the symbolic train car that is permanently housed on one of the sidings. The guide told us about how Frank Lowy had paid for the renovation of the car and the link to his father (a Rabbi), who had been beaten to death in Birkenau due to his refusal to part with his prayer shawl. You cross the track to the ramp where the selection process took place and then on to the ruins of Crematorium II, destroyed by Germans (along with III, IV & V) before the Russians arrived. To walk in the footsteps of the victims added a sobering reality to what this place was.

I can honestly say that this was a day I will remember for the rest of my life. It certainly helps you to put things into perspective. Life is something to cherish and rejoice in. These were the words of a camp survivor that I had the opportunity to take students to many years to interview. Those words rung so very true today.