Kazimierz, Krakow

Kazimierz was founded as an independent city in the 14th century and remained so until the beginning of the 19th century when it was incorporated into Krakow. The old Jewish quarter was here and until world war 2, the Jewish and Christian communities lived side by side and intermingled.
This post focuses on the Jewish quarter. Before the war, there were 65,000 Jewish citizens in Krakow served by 7 synagogues. Today, only 1 is fully active with regular worship and only about 200 members.
The first picture is in the main square of the Jewish quarter. At the far end of the photo is the oldest synagogue in Krakow. It is now a museum. The 2nd picture is in a small Orthodox synagogue that serves the small Jewish community in Krakow today. This is a famous place of pilgrimage, especially for the Orthodox worldwide as this is the synagogue of Rabbi Moses Isserles aka Remu.
The 3rd picture is in a reform synagogue that is used on occasion for worship. The 4th picture is of a street just off the main square. The building at the left is another old synagogue that is currently empty and unused. The 5th picture is of an old school that became the building used by the Nazis for labor assignments.
The last picture is not in the Jewish quarter. This is the main square of the ghetto created by the Nazis to separate the Jewish community from the rest of Krakow. It was ultimately liquidated, making Schindler's effort even more significant (see another post).Read more