Dani learns a lot in Krakow, Poland

Going to Krakow was probably one of the best things I have done since arriving in Jolly Ol'.
Stepping outside of the box, heading off the beaten track, to a town that is not just one massive tourist trap (I'll be it, it has it's traps), but also steeped in recent history. The importance of Krakow in World War 2 history is paramount. This city's ill-fated religious history faced the most horrible human atrocities I have ever heard in my life.

I would like to say what a terrible thing it is that in Canada we only learn World War 2 from our home perspective (not to mention the fact that Britain ONLY discusses the home front, and barely mentions the Holocaust at all). Learning about the war from the occupied area of Poland was FASCINATING (to me, anyways..) so I'm going to share some of it with ya'll.

Basically we learn in school's that Germany walked into Poland. Full stop. They were occupied and that is what started WW2... What really happened, of course, was that the Nazi party bombed Poland within an inch of it's life, so Poland had to hand themselves over, or face extermination. The Nazi's immediately took over Krakow, because of it's high Jewish population. Previously, the Jewish population and the non-Jewish population were living side by side in Krakow, only in different areas of the town. They lived in complete and utter peace with one another; no fear of one another whatsoever. Then the Nazis walked in. The immediately moved any Jewish person who was living in the Non-Jewish quarter into the Jewish quarter (which they shrunk to half the size, bringing everyone in to a really small area, forcing them to share houses when they previously did not, etc). Bad scene. On top of that they put walls the shape of over-sized gravestones around the outside of the quarter. Really bad scene. The regular passenger train no longer stopped at the Jewish quarter of Krakow, and the train windows were always covered up so no one could see what was going on.

Shortly after occupation, the Nazis started putting people into concentration camps, and we all know what happened from there. 90% of the Jewish population of Krakow was killed during the war. 90%!! Can. You.Imagine. That is almost complete extermination. And it's not like Hitler just dropped a bomb and wiped them out - oh no - he made them work until their bones were ragged and then suffer until they could take no more.

One man, Oskar Schindler, ran what would be considered "The Ritz" of all concentration camps. While his men and women were still put to hard, physical labour, he snuck around, making sure they all had health-care and as much nutrition as he could possible provide. We were able to tour his factory, which has been rededicated as a museum of Krakow under occupation. It was fascinating! Of course, I have an unhealthy obsession with WW2 history, specifically the Holocaust, but I found it just incredible.
On the walls there were all sorts of pictures of Jews hanging, with Nazi guards, as young as teenagers, smiling and giving thumbs up to their deaths; by far the most horrible thing I had ever seen (we went to Auschwitz the following day, so that has, of course, been topped). It was just disgusting.

The following pictures will help me explain a bit:

This is the old Jewish Square (the one surrounded by gravestone-esque walls throughout the occupation). The chairs are a monument to the events that transpired here, based on images of the Jewish people being relocated, carrying, quite literally, all of their life belongings on their back (kitchen chairs included).

 The Schindler Factory is dedicated to showing the world about Krakow under occupation.

Within the Schindler Factory there was various Nazi paraphernalia that was a little daunting to see in real life.

 A child holding a Swastika, embracing the Nazi way of life:

 Replicas of the walls around Krakow's Jewish quarter:

 We also found the New Jewish Cemetery (all Jewish cemeteries were bombed during the War).

 The monument to the Holocaust victims, made up of what remained of the graveyards that were bombed to bits during WWII.

 New Vandalism really broke my heat:

Thank God for men like Schindler, who at least tried. I am interested to read more about him in the summertime.

A clear sign of hopelessness among the current Jewish population....

Has it changed?
Ask my students who yell that so-and-so is "Gay" and "Gypsy" or even "GINGER". A bit disheartening of a mood today. Go back to the Royal Wedding post for a refresher.