Museum - History of Podgorze

The museum about the history of Podgorze on Limanowskiego street is quite interesting. Its 2 rooms contain a lot of information on old Podgorze. The catch is you should be able to read Polish at an advanced level. I had some trouble understanding the texts as there was much specialized vocabulary. Very little was translated into English. 

The lady who worked there was very helpful in telling me about the many sites to go check out in Podgorze. In later days I was able to return and explore some of those places.

Here is a picture of the building where the museum is located. The museum is in the back part of the building.

Podgorze was founded in 1784 by the Austrian csar Joseph II. There were earlier settlements in this area around 10,000 years ago. In the Middle Ages this part of Poland was known for its stones, sand, coal and limestone. Later iron and tin were found here. From the 1830s Podgorze was developing fast as a city. It was an independent city and did not want to be added on to the city of Cracow.

The first electricity plant in Podgorze was built in 1899. It served the whole city and was on Nadwislanskiej street #4. This plant preceded the one built in Cracow (in Kazimierz).

The city government headquarters was located at #1 Rynek Podgorski. This later became the headquarters for the Jewish Council (Judenrat) during WWII.

In the 1920s other industry developed in Podgorze. Mills, bakeries, sugar and marmalade factories, and even chocolate factories appeared. It was a booming city.

An old cemetery (the old Podgorski cemetery) opened in 1775. Famous citizens of Pogorze were buried there, including Edward Dembowski (a leader of an uprising in 1846 for Poland's independence). I wrote about this place in a previous blog entry on Podgorze.

There are 3 main churches in Podgorze - sw. Benedykt, sw. Jozefa and Redemptorystow. (The 1st 2 I wrote about in previous blog entries. The 3rd one I did not visit.) Sw. Benedykt is only open for mass once a year on the Tues. after Easter when the Rekawka fair takes place. In the museum there is a photo of the church from 1941-43. Behind it is the ghetto wall.

In 1941 the Germans decided to build a ghetto in Podgorze. It was in the area between Krzemionka street, Rynek Podgorski, Plac Zgody (now Plac Bohaterow Getta) and Traugutta street. Liquidation of the ghetto was in 1943. From the ghetto prisoners were sent to Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Plaszow or Liban camps. The Liban camp was a forced labor place for Poles (a quarry). After the war it remained a quarry. In 1993 Steven Spielberg filmed part of Schindler's List here. Remainders of the sets are still on location (ie. barracks). I wrote about Liban in a previous blog entry. 

There was a special exhibit on the area of Plaszow, where the labor camp was located. The mayor of Cracow Juliusz Leo wanted Plaszow to join Cracow and become part of Cracow. This was in the early 20th century. Cracow was interested in the industry and train transportation of goods in Plaszow. Plaszow refused multiple offers to join Cracow. One landowner in Plaszow Karol Czecz at first refused Cracow's offer to incorporate his land into Cracow. Eventually in 1910 he agreed to join his land to Cracow. Little by little Cracow was encroaching on Plaszow. Today it is considered a suburb of Cracow. 

Lastly the Plac Niepodleglosci in Podgorze was an important place of resistance and fighting for Poland's independence. Today you cannot see any obvious evidence or reminder of this on the square, except for a sign and map there. 

A new-old bridge and across to Podgorze, Jozefinska street.

During my reading at the Municipal Museum in Cracow I found out that at the location of an old bridge over the Wisla they built a new one. Some existing evidence of the old bridge got incorporated into the new structure. This I had to see. Off to the river near Pilsudski bridge I went.  

There are a whole series of bridges across the Wisla. This newest one is for pedestrians and cyclists only. There are 2 separate walkways that are side by side, separated by pipes. Here I am standing on one side and photographing the other side. Beyond this bridge is the Pilsudski bridge for cars and pedestrians.

The name of this bridge is "Kladka Bernatka". Kladka means lock in English (as in the ones to lock up your bikes). I am not sure about the reference to Bernatka. It may refer to an order of monks since in Polish the letter "o" is next to Bernatka (o=ojcow or monks). Why locks hung on the sides of the bridge? Not sure how it started, but it is now a tradition to hang a lock there symbolizing your faithful union in marriage. Here is a close-up.

 

Here is a photo that gives you an idea about the number of locks already hung there. Don't worry. There is still room for your lock on there!

Here are 2 other photos of the bridge - one at sunset and one from underneath.

Contemporary art! Clearly the 2 walkways are visible.

The "old" part of this Kladka bridge is the brick pillar that supports it on land. This brick was part of a pre-existing bridge. It was the oldest bridge with a brick pillar in Cracow across the Wisla. It was built between 1844 and 1850. It was slowly dismantled starting at an unspecificed date and ending in 1936. It was called the Podgorski bridge because it led to the Podgorze district. Here is a sign confirming this.

Here is a photo of the old bridge foundation.

I do not know when the Kladka bridge was built. It is new to me since being in Cracow 6 years ago.

Walk across the bridge from the Kazimierz side and you end up in Podgorze. Here is the view over to

Podgorze.

Walk a little ways to the left and you will see a rock with a sign on it confirming that you are in Podgorze.

Go a little further and you will find Jozefinska street.  Here you will find several important buildings from WWII. 

Here is an employment office used by the Germans to send Jews away to forced labor camps. It also served as a hospital for the chronically ill and recovering patients. The sign helps explain this.

It was this building-now a music school.

This next building was an old Jewish hospital during the war. When the Germans liquidated the ghetto, they killed all the patients.

This pink building was that hospital.

Here was a sign about a Jewish Social Self - Help Organization's building during the war. They collected money to help those in the ghetto. 

The sign also mentions a day care center a few doors down for children ages 6-14. They were all murdered by the Germans during the ghetto liquidation.

Here is the self-help organization building.

Lastly I believe this neglected building (#17 Jozefinska street) was the headquarters for the Jewish ghetto police (or "OD" - Ordnungs Dienst). These were Jews who worked for the Germans to maintain order in the ghetto.  There was no sign on the building, but I had written down that it was #17 Jozefinska. A Polish friend explained to me that the things the Poles want to forget are not labeled (as to not keep these places or people in mind). Perhaps that is why there is no sign. I just wonder whether the guy I saw looking out the window of his apartment there knows the history of that building. 

More from Kazimierz

As I wandered around the Kazimierz district in Cracow I noticed a few things that I had not seen before. Here is a shot of the Remuh Cemetery from the side (through a fence). It is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Cracow.

A "key hole" shot.

Another thing I noticed was an old building with Hebrew inscriptions on the front. When I got closer, I could see this sign.

It was a place for studies of the Talmud for adult members of the Jewish community. The group that organized these studies was formed in 1810. I am not sure when the building was first erected. The sign mentions a fire in 1773 that destroyed the building. It was renovated in the first half of the 19th century. Later renovations were in 1912. This building is located at #42 ul. Jozefa.

On Wawrzynca street in Kazimierz I first noticed this building that looked newly renovated as compared to older surrounding buildings. It was formerly an electric power plant.

In 1908 this place became an independent electric power facility for Cracow. In 1976 it ceased production of electricity there. Currently there are administrative offices for a business in this building.

A little further down sw. Wawrzynca street (#15) is a complex of buildings that were part of an old tram depot dating from 1882. It is now a museum called the Museum of Municipal Engineering (inzynierii miejskiej). The museum covers the history of transportation in Cracow, the electrification and sewerage of Cracow, the history of telecommunication, the history of the Polish car and motorcycle industry, the history of printing in Cracow from the 15th to the 20th century and trams on sw. Wawrzynca street.

Unfortunately the museum was closed when I went by. I seem to remember seeing some of the exhibits here many years ago. Here is a photo of the museum. Note the tram tracks.

Across the street at #12 is an old tram depot, now renovated and not looking that old. In it is a restaurant/bar. Here it is.

The Cracow Industrial Heritage Route is shown on a map outside the museum. It includes places like the electric power plant, old bridges and retaining walls for the Wisla river. 

Also included in this outdoor photo exhibit by the museum were old pictures of Cracow's bridges and river embankments. Here is a photo of an old bridge for trains. 

There was once a wooden bridge at this site. In 1863 this bridge was built out of bricks and stone pillars. It was built by the Karl Ludwig Railway Company on the train line from Cracow to Lvov. 

Notice how the Wisla river is underneath the bridge. Between 1878 and 1880 the river was filled in with sand so the bridge was over dry land. It still is like that today. This bridge is located near Dietla and Grzegorzecki streets. 

The pictures that intrigued me the most were those of the walls built along the Wisla river. They were built to protect Cracow and Podgorze from floods. The walls were built between 1907 and 1913 by engineer Roman Ingarden. A canal was planned along the Dunaj, Odra, Wisla and Dniestr rivers so big boats could come through with their loads of wares. When WWI broke out, the canal idea was abandoned. The retaining walls were built from the Rudawa river near the Norbertanek cloister to the train station Cracow-Grzegorki (no longer exists, but close to current Galeria Kazimierz shopping mall).

The walls were built on both sides of the river. 

The construction of the walls was thus that there was a low wall built by the river bank and a high wall built further away from the river bank. In between the walls were train tracks and a ramp for goods to be transported to higher ground. The ships unloaded their goods over the lower wall onto trains or trucks. Here is a picture of the higher wall being built around 1910.

Notice the train tracks.

Here is a photo of the high wall and railway tracks. The lower wall is way off to the left by the river bank. It is not possible to see it here.

I decided to go walking along the Wisla near the Pilsudski bridge to see if I could still see those old retaining walls. Well they are there still, along with the ramps. The train tracks have been replaced with pavement for walkers and cyclists. You cannot see the lower wall on this photo. It is way down by the bank of the river.

Here is a sign on the high wall confirming I had found the right place.

To me this is the really interesting part about Cracow - finding these nuggets of information that encourage me to explore and learn about the history of this amazing city. The fact that I can actually go and see what I was reading about is wonderful. 

2 footballs in Poland

In Poland we can expect a love for this kind of football.

What we don't expect is this -

The Big Ten Network!

I am completely baffled by this love of American football over here. Plus showing NCAA football on Polish TV is a new one for me! The commentary is mostly in Polish, except for words like extra point, touch down, offsides etc. that are in English. Well, go Youngstown State (OH), since I can't really root for Michigan State. (It's a Michigan-Michigan State rivalry that gets in the way of this writer's bias.)

Actually I have seen a little American football played in Poland on the TV. There are a few semi-professional teams in Poland (like Warsaw and Wroclaw, I think). 

I think the Poles really prefer their European football, as do I. Yesterday I went to another match played by Wisla Krakow and Piast Gliwice. The atmosphere was fine. Fewer people were at this match than at the last match I went to in August. The reasons were probably because it was cold, it was late and it was during the school year. Anyhow, Wisla won 3-0. The first 2 goals were scored by the Wisla star Pawel Brozek. The first goal was off a corner kick that got near the goal line. After the 3rd kick near the goal line, the ball finally got in the net. The 2nd goal was a one in one with the goalie and Brozek. The 3rd goal was made by Donald (? French last name). None of the fans around me could remember his last name. Someone joked that his last name was "Tusk", like the Polish premier Donald Tusk. This was also a one on one with the goalie with a left footed goal.

Here is a picture of the mascot, a dragon. They must have several animals representing the team because I have seen the name "sharks" as well. 

The flag colors must be the team colors, since the Polish flag only has red and white.

Here is a photo of the stadium from where I am staying in Cracow. It is the far building with "spikes".

It is not a far walk to home.

I will have to wait until next summer for another Wisla game. At least my Wisla fan card will still be valid!

Memories of Rzeszow, Kurylowa, Dabrowica and Lancut

My venture outside of Cracow led me first to Rzeszow. I was being met there by a Polish cousin of an American friend. Before she picked me up, I explored some of downtown Rzeszow on my own. The main square is not very big. The city hall tower is there next to a church called "Farny" from the 15th century. Here they are.

The Farny Church is associated with the nuns called "Felicjanek".

 There are many streets off the square with interesting sites. One place is the St. Cross church. It is next to a high school and a museum. 

After I met up with my friend, we visited a few more places. One was the Underground Route below the main square. We went on a tour there. Old cellars from the 14th to the 17th centuries were discovered below the surface. The distance below the current surface ranged from 1/2 meter to 10 meters. The length of the route is 369 meters with 15 corridors and 25 cellars. Of course the cellars were not originally so deep underground. The street level has become higher as people left trash that piled up. In the cellars people stored wine and food. During WWII some people hid down there in the narrow corridors. If they were found, at least they would be face to face with the enemy one person at a time. Some of the cellars had been filled in with concrete in order to support the surface of the main square and its heavy buildings. New corridors have been built to connect some of the cellars. Not all of the route is open to the public. There were displays of items found underground there, including bottles of wine, weapons and tools. The temperature was nice and cool down there. Here is a picture of the entrance ticket. You can see a cellar on it.

Another interesting site was an open area with fountains. This is a ways off the main square. We were not in time for a laser light show there. The fountains spray periodically. Here it is at dusk.

Off now to Kurylowka where my friend's cousins live. It is a small village with no street signs, just house numbers. In the center of town there is a statue (of someone, not sure who). The grandfather in the family told me that spot where the statue is located marked the former border between Poland and Russia. Near the statue there is a small school where Poles and Russians were educated. The Poles were in one side of the building and the Russians in the other side. A mixed population it was in Kurylowka before WWII (of Poles, Russians and Ukrainians).

Here is a photo of a sign marking that we have arrived in Kurylowka.

During my visit in Kurylowka I rode a bike to the village of Ozanna and beyond. Ozanna is a resort in the summer for swimmers, boaters and walkers/bike riders. Along the man-made lake are camping sites and agro-tourist lodgings. The lake looks dirty now. A long time ago I used to swim there with my friend's cousins. Now I would not want to. Here is the lake.

 

I rode further up the road from the lake through forests. On the way back I took an unexpected detour (ie. mistake) to Dabrowica. I am glad I found it. It is even smaller than Kurylowka. One of my friend's cousins teaches in a pre-school in Dabrowica. There are really only 2 sites to see in Dabrowica. One is a small wooden church from the 2nd half of the 19th century. It is now being renovated, so I could not go inside. Here is the outside. I can't wait to see the inside.

The other site is an Eastern Orthodox Church, a reminder of the days when the Russians lived in that area. I think this town was on the Russian side of the border. The gate was locked so I could not go inside. My friends did not know if this is an active church.

You can tell it is Eastern by the writing on the outside of the church and the shape of the tower.

On the bike ride back to Kurylowka I saw a beautiful wooden house in Kurylowa that I had to show you. Most houses in this village are not this pretty or ornate.

The day I left Kurylowka I passed through Lancut, another village (about 30 km from Kurylowka). From here I caught the train back to Cracow. Lancut is known for its park and castle. It is a very nice place to take a walk. Here are some photos in the park.

On the right a hotel.

The "orangerie", a place where orange trees are grown inside (French term).

Across the street from the park is a stable for horse-drawn carriages. I was lucky to see a few guys dragging a buggy out of the building. Here it is.

It is a small buggy!

Lancut is known in the summer for its music courses that take place in the park's castle and surrounding buildings. A friend from Cracow used to teach there. I went there once a while back to watch him teach.

I would recommend a trip to visit these places. Most would have places to stay overnight, except for the tiny places of Kurylowka and Dabrowica. I am lucky enough to know people there with whom I can stay. No hotels there!

Oskar Schindler - Schindler factory

In the factory museum there is a whole room devoted to Schindler, the leader of the factory. There are things to read and interviews to listen to given by former workers. (Also there is a film about the factory at the beginning of the museum exhibits.) 

Schindler lived in Moravia (associated with today's Czecoslovakia). He was a businessman. He collaborated with the German military. He was accused by his homeland of spying on Czechoslovakia and Poland and in 1938 was arrested and sentenced to death. He was released when the Germans took over part of that area where he was (called the "Sudetenland"). He was indeed spying on Poland for the Germans. He took part in something called the "Gleiwetz incident", which was a pre-text for the Germans declaring WWII. I will have to look that up. 

Schindler came to Cracow in Sept. 1939. He was still spying for the Germans. He was arrested many times by the Nazis for illegal business deals. He was a shady character. Yet he was kind to the Jews and managed to keep the Germans at bay with bribes.

In Nov. 1939 Schindler was appointed administrator of the factory. He leased the factory, called at that time "Deutsche Emailwaren Fabrik". Enamelware (pots and pans) and mess tins were made for the Germans. In 1941 the factory also produced munitions, ie. cases and fuses for shells. 

At the factory lunch was provided. Workers eventually lived in barracks on the factory property. Before that the workers had to walk a ways to get to work. Other facilities at the factory were a clinic, kitchen,stables and Schindler's office and apartment. 

As time went on more and more Jews were employed at the factory. They worked alongside Poles. The Jews received no wages. However Schindler provided food and living quarters for them. It was a good place to work. Schindler paid the Nazis 4 zloty daily for each woman worker and 5 zloty for each man. I am not sure if this was for the Jews or for all the workers regardless of their nationality. 

Schindler helped Dr. Rudolf Sedlack with activities concerning Jewish relief and rescue that were happening in Budapest. Money was raised for this cause.

In May 1943 after the ghetto liquidation Jews working at the factory were barracked at a "sub camp" near the back of the factory. It was a branch of the Plaszow camp. Barbed wire fences surrounded the area. There were watch towers. The camp was guarded by Ukrainians, Germans and Jewish OD. Later the Nazis guarded the place. Guards Albrecht Hujar and Edmund Zdrojewski were particularly brutal. In August 1944 this subcamp was liquidated. The unfit Jews there went to the work camp at Plaszow. Those fit to work were sent to camps at Mauthausen and Stutthof.  In October 1944 munitions production was ended at the factory. The remaining factory staff was sent to Brunnlitz (now Brnenec in the Czech Republic). Schindler had founded a factory there. 

Cracow in pictures

For your pleasure - pictures of downtown Cracow:

St. Mary's Church and horse-drawn carriages for tourists

Kanonicza Street - view towards Wawel Castle. One of the oldest streets in Cracow.

Folk Music and Art Festival in front of former City Hall tower. Many performances throughout the day from groups all over Poland and neighboring countries.

Former City Hall Tower, Cracow. Currently museum.

Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) and St. Mary's Church

St. Peter and Paul Church, Grodzka Street

St. Mary's Church, main square

Poet Adam Mickiewicz, in front of Cloth Hall, main square

Wawel Castle

View from Wawel Castle of Vistula River and Kosciuszko Mound

Balloon flying above Vistula River, view from Wawel Castle. Balloon for tourists attached with bungee cords.

Copernicus, near Collegium Novum on the Planty (park surrounding old part of Cracow. Location of former wall around Cracow.)