Led by: Jacek Stawiski

One thousand years of the history of Krakow’s Jewish community – all in one book. A monograph for which Krakow has been waiting for generations.

In Poland, we often brag that Jews escaping persecution all over Europe found refuge in Poland which they called “Po-lin”, “the space of rest.” But do we know anything more about the history of the Jews in one of the first cities they settled, Krakow? This book is a monumental and gripping story of Krakow’s Jewish community which finally fills the blank spot in Polish historiography.

In this extensive and illustrated work, the authors lead the reader through the history of Jews from Medieval times and the first groups of Jews reaching the city. They explain the reasons for moving to Kazimierz and describe the development of Krakow’s Jewish district in the “Golden Age” of the Jagiellonian era; the participation of Krakow’s Jews in the national movement from the times of the partitions of Poland; and their role in the rebirth of Poland as a country. The sound of Krakow’s streets for centuries was a unique polyphony of Yiddish, Hebrew, and Polish. Chapters focusing on the Shoah describe how this sound was silenced. The monograph ends with a part which describes the rebirth of Jewish life in Krakow after the Second World War and the efforts of bringing back the memory of Jewish Krakow.

Authors of the book (in alphabetic order):
Czesław Brzoza, Michał Galas, Edyta Gawron, Stefan Gąsiorowski, Anna Jakimyszyn-Gadocha, Adam Kaźmierczyk, Alicja Maślak-Maciejewska, Przemysław Zarubin. Edited by: Edyta Gawron and Michał Galas.

In Polish. Free admission.

Buy the book (in Polish) at the Galicia Jewish Museum online bookshop: click HERE.