Schindler’s Krakow

Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and five days later Krakow fell. Hans Frank’s General Government then subjected the Polish and Jews to four and a half years of terror.

The story begins with the plundering of the city’s treasures, the relocation of the people and the first arrests and executions. The Jews were soon confined to Podgorze Ghetto, where they were forced to work in factories such as Oskar Schindler’s. The terror increased with deportations and the bloody liquidation of the ghetto as the Jews were moved into Amon Göth’s Plaszow concentration camp. Selections and murders followed, while Schindler bribed and conned his way to save his workforce before moving them to his Sudetenland home town. The Polish underground also fought back through sabotage, assassinations and propaganda, until the Soviets captured Krakow.

This is an essential guide to Krakow – a city of contrasts, with a medieval center and communist-era outskirts. Rawson details the relevant sights, including the Jewish Quarter, Wawel Castle, Podgorze Ghetto and Plaszow camp. He also explores the relevant museums, including the Schindler factory, the Gestapo headquarters and the Home Army Museum. The city is an ideal base for visiting nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau.