Schindler's Factory in Podgorze, Cracow

This is an excellent museum. However it is large. Better plan on spending the whole day there. I was there in the afternoon and saw only the 1st floor. The 2nd floor is full of exhibits too. I recommend going on their free admission day, though go early as they run out of tickets quickly. They limit the number of people entering. Admission price is a little steep for Polish prices. That's probably why the place was full of foreigners! It is one of the museums most attractive and publicized for tourists.

Here is a picture of the outside. As you can see, it is a big space. It was the actual factory that Schindler owned.

The beginning of the exhibit consists of a 30 minute film about the factory. There are many stories told by former factory workers. The film is in English. Some workers were talking about their jobs in the factory. One lady was a secretary. One man helped in the making of metal pots covered with enamel (for use in the kitchen). Later the factory made shells (for weapons) for the German army during WWII. The workers were treated well. They had food for breakfast and dinner at their barracks (living quarters on the campus of the factory). Lunch was provided at the factory. They said it was good. Mr. Schindler (a German businessman) hired Jews, Poles and others. When the Germans would come for inspections, Schindler would hide the Jews under barrels or in other secret places. There was one story told that I did not fully understand. It had to do with taking the Jewish workers on a "trip" to the salt mine in Wieliczka. This was done because Schindler knew the Germans were coming to round Jews up and take them away. During this trip the Jews were told they were all dismissed permanently from work. They were not expecting this. Mr. Schindler had something else in mind for them to do in another factory of his. I think that was the story. I need to check it out. One worker said he got stopped on the street by the Germans and was sent to the forced labor camp in Plaszow, outside of Cracow. Mr. Schindler discovered he was missing from the factory and went to Plaszow to bring him back to his factory. Somehow Schindler was able to keep the German SS at bay with bribes and smooth talking. More is written about him on the 2nd floor of the museum.

On the first floor there was much detailed information about WWII. I took lots of notes about events I would like to look up. On the walls were many posters in Polish and German with proclamations from the reigning German government in Poland. One talked about locations where you had to speak in German. Hebrew and Polish were not allowed. Store signs were regulated (often had to be in German).  Jewish businesses were shut down in Kazimierz, the Jewish district. Jewish bank accounts were frozen. Jews were forced to leave their dwellings in Kazimierz. They could only take a limited amount of possessions with them. What remained was sold or taken by the Germans. For every possible activity everything was regulated and written out on these posters. There was a poster requesting every abled body to report to downtown Cracow to help dig air raid trenches around the Planty (green around surrounding Cracow), in other parks and squares. The following photo shows a poster of a proclamation establishing the "General Government" in Cracow under General Hans Frank in 1939. Hitler appointed him to look after Cracow. This government was not an official part of the 3rd Reich, but was dependent on it.

Here is another interesting thing. This is a drawing of houses the Germans wanted built for their SS officers as living places. To me it is interesting because I live on the same street as these homes. (I live farther out.) These buildings have fewer floors - only 2 in Polish terminology. (In Polish the bottom floor is #0 and they don't count that in their numbering system. So to us Americans it would be 3 floors.) These homes are not as high as the current surrounding homes that were built later. It was important to the Germans to have a green space (courtyard) in the midst of these buildings. They wanted to build a dozen homes, but only managed to build about 6. Here is a photo of the projected plans for the building of these homes. The street is called Krolewska.

Here are some interesting things I read about in the museum and would like to find out more about in the future. In March 1939 the Polish government gave money (in the form of a loan) to start an anti aircraft defense fund. It was basically a national defense fund. The monies came before the war started. I read that many Poles gave money or valuables towards the fund. In Polish the fund is called "Fundusz obrony narodowej". 

I need to find out about the Polish-Soviet battle of Warsaw in 1920.

There was a Polish Food Committee from 1939 that recommended a minimum amount of food to have on hand in case war came. The Polish name for the group was "Polska Komitet Zywnosciowy".

Air raid preparation included having sand, shovels, water, a gong for outside and a whistle for each household. Children under 8 years old must have their name and address sewn on a piece of cloth in their clothing. 

Cracow was partially evacuated at the beginning of the war. Important strategic places were bombed like the train station and military posts. Ironically the Germans then came and repaired much of their damage when they decided to make Cracow their home.

The underground movement called "Armia Krajowa" was formed in 1942 from previously existing movements joining forces. I was surprised to find out that there were many small resistance groups in existence during the war.

Cracow was the seat of the General Government under Hans Frank. Other district of this General Govt. were in Warsaw, Radom, Lublin and Galicja. Cracow had its own currency. 

In 1939 a Pole from Katowice came to Cracow to open his shop. He provided Hitler's portraits to German officers to hang in their homes and offices. The shop owner was bragging that these portraits were being sought by Cracow Poles of German descent.

Jagiellonian University in Cracow wanted to restart classes in 1939. The Germans did not prevent it. The 1st lecture of the year was given by SS Bruno Muller in the Collegium Novum building. His lecture was telling all the professors there that they were being arrested now and were going to be sent to POW camps. The rector of the university was singled out as the 1st victim. Many of the profs were first sent to the prison on Montelupich street. Later they were sent to barracks in Cracow, followed by a visit to prison in Breslau. The older profs were sent to camp in Sachsenhausen. The younger profs went to Dachau. Some ended up being released, including the rector. There were pictures of the profs and an audio recording of the lecture telling them they were being foolish opening the school and that they were now being arrested. This was all part of the Germans' war vs. Polish intellectuals.

The main square in Cracow was renamed "Adolf Hitler Platz". The famous statue of poet Adam Mickiewicz in the middle of the square was demolished in 1940. The Germans also destroyed the statue commemorating the Battle of Grunwaldski. 

In the prison on Montelupich street held mostly Poles and Polish Jews. Some Germans, Ukrainians and Soviets were held there too. It was an interrogation center, an execution center (in the courtyard) and an assembly point for transport to camps. Between 1939-45 around 50,000 people passed through there. Several thousand people went through the prison on Pomorska street.

There was a picture of violinist Leopold Rosner who lived in the ghetto. He played at a restaurant on the Rynek Podgorski in Podgorze as well as in a small concert hall @ #6 Wegierska street. More on him in another blog entry. 

The 2nd floor of the museum has even more information about WWII ghettos in Podorze and Warsaw and more about Oskar Schindler. I will go back there next week and report back to you.