Traces and the Commercialization of Jewish History in Krakow

Before World War II, Krakow was home to around 65,000 Jews. The current Jewish population is officially unknown, but unofficially thought to be anywhere between 300-600. Just like the population itself, Jewish history in Krakow, and Poland in general, is a shadow of its former self. Traces of Jewish history can be seen on a simple walk through town, with scars on door frames where Mezuzahs once sat, to dilapidated synagogues that have been converted into book stores, and to sites like the former concentration camp of Plaszow. It has been 70 years since the Holocaust, and the Polish government is still trying to figure out what to do with the memory present at Plaszow. Just last year, it was riddled with litter and graffiti, and we witnessed a biker riding through and a father pushing his son in a stroller as if they were wandering through a park. Signs have been added to alert people that they are in fact entering a site of a former Nazi Concentration Camp, and the state is working on establishing a small museum on location.

One of the first things I realized upon my return to Krakow was the increase in tourism around the city, specifically in Kazimirus. Everywhere I turn there are street cars plastered with labels for tours of “Old Town, Schindler’s Factory, Kazimirus, Ghetto,” all in one for less than 50 Zlotty (the Polish currency, equivalent to $12.99). Restaurants have been created in the recent years to mimic “Jewish style” cuisine and atmosphere. Whether or not they are successful may not matter to most visitors, as the Jewish Quarter has become a sort of Jewish ‘Disneyland’ in Krakow. Ruth Gruber addresses the issue of Jewish Commercialization in her article, “Scenes from a Krakow Cafe.” Although she is not a fan of the commercial exploitation of Jewish culture via wooden figurines depicting stereotypes of Jews, Gruber also recognizes that some good does come from this new sense of awareness of Krakow’s Jewish History. Schindler’s List started conversations about the Holocaust in Krakow, and the city and its Jewish inhabitants are attempting to understand how to exist out of and move away from the shadow of Auschwitz.