I still have some time on my hands so I decided to do some more exploring today and headed for the Kazimierz district of Krakow. Kazimierz is best known for being the Jewish district of Krakow until the end of the Second World War. Kazimierz is not far from where I live however getting there does involving crossing the occasional road, a sometimes difficult task in Krakow. Crossing the road here can be a daunting experience and even the locals never look 100% comfortable when doing it. Most road crossing work in a kind of zebra crossing style, except the onus is very much on the pedestrian to make the first move and start crossing rather than the driver stopping to allow you to cross. That coupled with the way most people drive here means you can be waiting for quite a while before you get the opportunity to cross. The constant sound of revving engines, screeching breaks and car horns don't encourage most pedestrians to take the iniative. The situation is at its worse when it comes to crossing large roads which can have two lanes going in both directions as well as a tram lane down the middle of the road. If you are lucky enough to come across a crossing that has a red and green man style system, your still better waiting for someone else to cross first as most drivers wont stop until someone has actually started crossing the road, and even then they might not!!
Anyway I’m digressing. Although no longer home to a large Jewish population Kazimierz is full of constant reminders of its Jewish past. The Jewish part of Kazimierz is actually quite small, probably 10 or so streets but within it there are numerous synagogues, museums, Jewish restaurants and monuments. I visited one of the synagogues come museums and actually learned quite a lot about Jewish culture. It’s a strange feeling though walking around the streets of Kazimierz which contain so many Jewish temples, monuments and buildings. You realize your in a Jewish district but something is missing, Jews. The only people you see seem to be tourists or everyday Poles and that is a real shame. It is then that you realize that the effects of World War II are still much more visible and relevant in Poland than they are elsewhere in Europe.
Anyway I’m digressing. Although no longer home to a large Jewish population Kazimierz is full of constant reminders of its Jewish past. The Jewish part of Kazimierz is actually quite small, probably 10 or so streets but within it there are numerous synagogues, museums, Jewish restaurants and monuments. I visited one of the synagogues come museums and actually learned quite a lot about Jewish culture. It’s a strange feeling though walking around the streets of Kazimierz which contain so many Jewish temples, monuments and buildings. You realize your in a Jewish district but something is missing, Jews. The only people you see seem to be tourists or everyday Poles and that is a real shame. It is then that you realize that the effects of World War II are still much more visible and relevant in Poland than they are elsewhere in Europe.
MONUMENT COMMEMORATING THE 65,000 CRACOVIAN JEWS KILLED BY THE NAZIS DURING WORLD WAR II
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