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Although Kazimierz is
defined by it's past rather than it's present it is
still a haunting experience to explore the side
streets and squares of this area. For many years
Kazimierz was something of a ghost town after years
of neglect by the Communist regime.However, more
recently the area has become a mecca for "Schindler
tourists" and this renewed interest has in turn has
led to re-development making Kazimierz now one of
the trendiest areas of Krakow.
With an atmosphere
completely unique from the rest of Krakow, Kazimierz
has become the artistic and intellectual soul of the
city and this is reflected in it's open air
concerts, exhibitions, antique shops etc. Kazimierz,
which used to be a town in it's own right and was
founded back in 1335. It soon became a haven for
persecuted Jews from all over Europe. Jews have
lived in the Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz for over
500 years but after WWII less than 10% of the Jewish
population survived. Today, only an estimated
100-150 Jews live in Krakow.
Once the visual
context of the area can be understood then there is
much to appreciate with several places of historical
significance. Surprisingly, all seven synagogues
survived the war (some in better shape than others).
The Isaac's Synagogue (Synagoga Izaaka) is the
largest and was built around 1644. Only recently
returned to the Jewish community in 1989 there are
still original features visible such as the wall
painting decoration and original stucco. The
building now houses virtual exhibitions utilising
documentary footage of the district in 1936 and the
expulsion of the Kazimierz Jews to the Krakow ghetto
in 1941.
The Old Synagogue
(Stara Synagoga) is the oldest Jewish religious
building in Poland dating as far back as the 15th
Century. Today the building houses the Museum of
Jewish History. In the plaza in front is a monument
to 30 Poles shot by the Nazis.
The Remuh Synagogue
and Old Cemetery is actually the smallest synagogue
in Kazimierz but the only one still used regularly
for religious services. The cemetery is situated
just behind the synagogue. During WWII the Nazis
desecrated the cemetery razing the tombstones to the
ground. After the war, workers discovered more than
700 tombstones buried under the earth. Historians
claim the Jews themselves hid the tombstones 200
hundred years earlier to protect them from repeated
invasions on Krakow from foreign armies. Some of the
stones are works of art in their own right.
Both the cemeteries
and synagogues require male visitors to don a kippah
(or "skull-cap"). These are provided at the entrance
either free of charge or for a small nominal fee.
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