PODGÓRZE - former Ghetto and Concentration Camp

The mound of Krak
The Mound of Krak Is a legendary tomb of Duke Krak, the founder of Krakow. Its construction dates back to the 7th century. The site Is associated with pagan cults. During the first half of the 20th century, during archaeological exploration, the roots of a 300-year-old oak and an Avar belt buckle were discovered here. There are also theories, which attribute the construction of the Mound to the presence of Celts here, and believe it is a solar marker. The view from the top provides a stunning view of Krakow.

St Benedict's Church
St. Benedict's Church Is built on the limestone hills of Wzgórze Lasoty - a small, mysterious church dating from the 10th and 11th century, rebuild in the 12th cent. Archaeological studies have confirmed the theory that it was built on the foundations of the pre-Romanesque temple. A nearly Christian cemetery was also discovered nearby. On the first Tuesday after Easter the traditional Rękawka festival Is held near the church.

Fort 31 "St Benedict"
Fort 31 “St. Benedict”, located near St. Benedict's Church is a unique military building, and part of an Austrian fortification system known as the 'Fortress of Krakow'. It was built between 1853 and 1856, probably according to the design of Feliks Księżarski. It is a tower-fortress (or artillery tower, known also as a 'Maximillian Tower'), the only example of this rare type of fortification in Poland, and one of the few in Europe.

The Old Podgórze Cemetery
The Old Podgórze Cemetery, established around 1790. It is the oldest communal cemetery in Krakow. It was partially destroyed by the Nazis during WWII, and later in the 1970s during the construction of Powstańców Śląskich St. This necropolis served as a resting place for the most distinguished citizens of Podgórze, such as Walery Eljasz Radzikowski, Aleksander Kotsis and Edward Dembowski, who was the leader of Krakow Uprising of 1846.

The St. Benedict Inn
The St. Benedict Inn is situated at the crossing of Wielicka and Powstańców Wielkopolskich Streets. On the 30th of October 1918, these old Austrian military barracks were seized by troops led by Lieutenant Antoni Stawarz, becoming the first building liberated in Poland from under Austrian rule.

The Podgórze Town Hall
The lavish building at Rynek Podgórski 1 was once the Free Royal City of Podgórze Town Hall, built at the beginning of the 19th century in the style of Historicism with Baroque elements. A top the building is Podgórze's coat-of-arms. The interior is a home to the City Council's splendid meeting hall.

The St Josephs Church
The Neo-gothic St. Joseph's Church is the focal point of Podgórski Market Sq. It was built between 1905 and 1909 according to the design of Jan Sas Zubrzycki. It is located on the site of an older church, of which a bell-tower standing on a rock remains, behind the main church. The bell tower was modelled on the higher (bugle-call) tower of St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow.

The Church of the Holy Mother of Perpetual Aid
The Church of the Holy Mother of Perpetual Aid and the Redemptionists monastery at 54/56 Zamojskie¬go St. are Neo-Roman buildings designed by Jan Sas Zubrzycki, erected between 1904 and 1908.

Bednarski Park
Bednarski Park was created in a disused quarry by the principal of a Podgórze junior high school, whose name it bears. The park opened in 1896 and is one of the first examples of redevelopment of post-industrial land. According to legend it was the place where the alchemist Pan Twardowski formed his “school of sorcery”.

Liban quarry
Liban quarry (named after a co-owner), whose cliffs are located near the Mound of Krak, is a tribute to a centuries-long tradition of limestone excavation in the area of Krzemionki. During WWII the quarry became a forced labour camp organised by Nazi “Baudienst” for Poles.

PODGÓRZE DURING WORLD WAR II

'Apteka pod Orłem' Museum
'Apteka pod Orlem' Museum is located on 18 Bohaterów Getta Sq. Throughout the entire existence of the Jewish Ghetto in Podgórze, from 1941 to 1943, the pharmacy was operated by a Pole -Tadeusz Pankiewicz. The pharmacy served as a ”letter drop box” and “an embassy of freedom in a city behind bars”. On this square (once known as Plac Zgody, or Concorde Square), Jews were assembled in front of the pharmacy to be transported to concentration camps. The chairs on the square are the monument to the victims of the Ghetto, which was liquidated by the Nazis in 1943.

Płaszów Concentration Camp
Płaszów Concentration Camp was esta¬blished In 1942 as a forced labour camp. It encompassed 80 hectares, including the two Jewish cemeteries, which were later destroyed. It is estimated that be¬tween 8 and 10 thousand people were murdered in the camp. The memories of those murdered here are honoured by the memorial 'Hearts Torn Out' stan¬ding near Kamińskiego St., on the site of one of the mass graves.

Oskar Schindler's Enamelware Factory
Oskar Schindler's Enamelware Factory, once known as 'Rekord' 4 Lipowa St became famous thanks to the movie 'Schindler's List'. Oscar Schindler, a German entrepreneur, employed priso-ners from the “Płaszów concentration camp” here, saving 1100 of them by moving them to ano¬ther factory In Moravia according to his famous “list”. Today It is a branch of Krakow Historical Museum, with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the city from 1939 to 1945.