Abandoned streets

100 years ago, Jewish culture flourished in Krakow, especially Kazimierz. Jews earned their living as traders, they ran workshops and factories such as the furniture factory that today serves as Galicja Museum. The growing Jewish prosperity in Krakow was abruptly interrupted because someone decided that they are not worthy … of living. After the war, the lively streets of Kazimierz fell silent, the destroyed synagogues became a tragic memento of the past. That was the end of Jewish era in Krakow.

But the Poles have not forgotten about their Jewish neighbors and friends. They continued to talk about them, rebuilt the synagogues, cleaned up the remains of the Jewish heritage. From this remembrance, a great project was born - the Galicja Jewish Museum.

Traces of memory

In the museum, you will see how Poles commemorated Jewish community in Lesser Poland.

• The museum is divided into 5 parts,
• four parts show the absence of Jews, which is why there are no people on any picture. There are only abandoned buildings, destruction, and silence.
• the last part presents people who saved and reactivated the Jewish heritage.
• What makes these photos unique is the fact that they are in color - not only do they show the sadness and melancholy of abandoned houses and buildings, but also prove that these buildings are still a part of the landscape, and their history is still valid even after all these years.

Interesting Facts

Incredible cooperation

Professor Jonathan Webber and photographer Chris Schwarz spent 11 years researching the remains of Jewish life in Lesser Poland. They interviewed people to get information about their relationships with Jewish neighbors and friends. Schwarz documented everything by taking pictures. Many years of cooperation resulted in the opening of the moving exhibition: Contemporary View on the Jewish Past of Poland.

It was so recognized and appreciated that the project was continued, and photographer Jason Francisco took photos documenting the scale of positive changes that have happened in Poland over the last few years. Because today, Poles are even more determined to commemorate Jews living in Krakow and Lesser Poland. They rebuild, restore, create concerts and festivals - all so that they never forget about the “Jewish” part of Polish history.