In 1335 king Casimir the Great settled the town Kazimierz, as the legend says, for his Jewish lover Esther of Opoczno.
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european institute of cultural routes |
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| Magdalena Wojcik |
| 30 August 2010 |
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The Jewish community in Krakow started to concentrate in Kazimierz since 15th century, after the decision of relocation taken by the King Jan Olbracht.
It is said that Christian inhabitants insisted on him to drive out Jews from the city of Krakow. They had been accused of having caused the fire that destroyed the university church.
It was a historical moment of official opening the Jewish district and Krakow’s Jews had to join other Jewish families already living there. Since that moment other Jewish believers exiled from Czech and other European countries settled in Kazimierz, most of them were Ashkenazi Jews (see link) but also some Sephardim (see link).
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Szeroka street ( Broad)
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cafe at Szeroka street
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This way Kazimierz, during half of the century, grew to become the most numerous Jewish commune in Poland. Jewish district had been divided until 1800 from the Christian part by the wall, which remains can be seen even today.
It is worth to mention that daily coexistence of two cultures was rather living “ next to each other� then living “ together�, but it was coexistence characterized by a tolerance and respect. Polish kings were always perceived as an open for foreigners, strangers and other cultures.
This is one of the reasons for flourishing development of Kazimierz.In Kazimierz exist 7 synagogues: The Old synagogue (15 th ), The Remuh synagogue (16th), Wysoka ( High) Synagogue (16 th),Wolf Popper (Bocian) Synagogue ( 17th ), Kupa Synagogue (17 th ), Ajzyk Synagogue (17th ), Tempel (19th ),
pictures of Mr Zgodzinski, from the WepPage http://www.jubi.buum.pl/pl_6_g-kazimierz-2004_0.html
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On the Szeroka street (broad street) is situated the Old Synagogue. It was probably built during the 15 th centuries and later rebuilt after 1557 by Italian architect Matteo Gucci and in 1904 by Zygmunt Hendel.
In 1936 was established there a Jewish museum, which was plundered by the Nazi in 1939. Since 1958 museum belong to City of Krakow Historical Museum and since 1961 has been presenting Jewish displays.
In 16th century was built the second synagogue in Kazimierz, the Remuh Synagogue. Moses Isserles constructed this building upon the consent from King Sigmund II Augustus and gave it the name of his son „Remuh�. It is the smallest of Krakow’s synagogues. To this synagogue is attached beautiful cementery in which are resting the prominent dwellers of Kazimierz Jewish district:
Moses Isserles- who was an astronomer, historician, philosopher and geometrician
Mordechai Saba – the superior of the Krakow yeshivah, a grammarian, preacher, and Cabalist
Eliezer Askenazi- a physician
Isaac Prostitz- printer of Hebrew books
Or Isaac Yakubovich called “Ayzik� – financier, merchant and senior of Krakow Jewish Community.
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Old Synagogue in Kazimierz
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poster inviting for jewish films
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Other Kazimierz synagogue is Ayzik ( Isaac) synagogue. The building procedure was supported by the consent of King Wladzslaw IV Vasa in, however cause of clash between Rabbi Yekeles and protest of Lateran canon, it was completed only couple of years later in 1644.
The Isaac synagogue, which was considered to be the richest, suffered twice from foreign troops’ invasions; first plundered it Swedish in 17 century, later Germans during WW II.
With this synagogue is related a legend: Rabbi Yekkeles for each consecutive night had a dream about treasure hidden under the Carl’s Bridge in Prague. He decided to fallow the dream and look for it. While being in Prague he met an inhabitant of the city with whom he shared his dream. The dweller of Prague laughed at his naivety and told Robbi Yekeles his own dream about the treasure hidden in oven of the Jewish house in Kazimierz. Praguer, however ignored his own dream and stayed in his home city, while Isaac came back home. As the legend says, in his own oven he had founded a treasure that let him build the synagogue.
One of unexpected treasures among Krakow’s synagogues is the Tempel (untypical name for Jewish architecture) also called the Progressive. It is the youngest synagogue, built between the years 1860- 1862, (it was a time when Kazimierz was already a part of city Krakow) for the Non- Orthodox Jews. Services were held here in both in Hebrew, Polish and German.
The architecture combines the elements of different styles: neo-Gothic, neo- Renaissance and Moorish style with an exotic interior.
Worth notice is a photo of a poster advertising Jewish films , it is an invitation for non-Jewish people. Poster written in both Polish and English, common in Poland.
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Before World War II more then 60.000 Jews lived in Krakow, what was counted as about 25% of all city inhabitants.
Together with the Nazi occupation started repression aimed at Krakow Jewish. Firstly, since 1 December 1939, they were forced to wear an armband displaying a blue Star of David.
The Jewish bank accounts, schools were not functioning. Their contacts with non- Jews were gradually limited.
On 12 April 1940, governor of the General Government (General government for the occupied Polish areas, in German Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete) decided that Krakow had to become the most cleaned out of Jews in the General Gouvernement.
The Jewish group, Judenrat, was created by the Nazis to maintain order in the ghetto. They attempted to protect the Jews from escalation of the repression, and, mostly by using corruption on Germans, 15.000 Jews stayed in the town without facing the acts of deportation.
In March 1941 decision was taken to build the new ghetto among those 400 already existing on the polish lands. The new ghetto was constructed in the poor region of the city, separated from other parts by the river and the rocks (in Podgórze). Since the end of March 1941, about 50.000 Jews were relocated there, clutched at 20 hectares, surrounded by a wall.
Worth to mention that in the borders of ghetto was active a resistance movement "Sneh" with its leader Dolek (Adolf) Liebeskind.
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ghetto gate
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Jews, on the way to ghetto
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First deportation to the extermination camp in Belzec took place on March 13, 1942. The majority of Jews from Krakow perished in Belzac, mostly killed with a gas as carriers of lice.
With new governor of the ghetto- Gestapo, so called "June action" started. The Jews were evacuated into Belzec or murdered directly in the ghetto.
The 6th of December 1942 is the date were Jews were divided into two sections: A, those who are able to work and B those too weak for that. Those who were physically capable to work were driven to the camp in Płaszów. The other group's destination was obvious, either Birkenau or Treblinka.
On March 13th 1943 German police entered to the ghetto. The women, men and children were separated. More then a hundred of babies were accumulated and all shot. 2000 Jews were killed in the Zgoda Square.
10 per cent of Krakow Jews survived the war, some of them thanks to aid of Oskar Schindler.
Jews past during communism was a social taboo and only after 1989 Jewish culture could experience rebirth.
In 2004 Krakow Jewish Community celebrated its 700th anniversary, and also this year we can enjoy the annual Jewish Culture Festival
pictures from the webpage:http://www.scrapbookpages.com/poland/index.html
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