Kazimierz and Podgórze

Kazimierz, founded in the 14th century as a separate town, was, by the end of the 18th century, connected to Krakow. At the end of the 15th century, the Jewish quarter was created here, which existed until the Second World War II, when the Nazis crowded the entire Jewish population of Krakow into the ghetto located on the other side of the Vistula River in Podgórze.

The pacification campaign carried out in the ghetto in 1943 sealed the tragic fate of Krakow's Jewish community. Today, the former inhabitants of the area surrounding Szeroka Street are recalled by the preserved synagogues and the restored Remuh cemetery. Kazimierz – a favourite place of artists, full of studios and art galleries – is today one of Krakow's biggest tourist attractions. The magic of the old Jewish town can still be felt here, and the unique conglomeration of the district consists of many contrasts: There are churches and synagogues here, Hasidim and clubbers, solemn celebrations and the weekend bazaar in Nowy Square. In 2010, a pedestrian and cycle bridge joined the two banks of the Vistula, thus streamlining communication between Kazimierz and Podgórze. Also in 2010, opened in Podgórze the branch of the Historical Museum of Krakow besieged by visitors – the former Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory and nearby, also including the use of post-industrial buildings, the modern building of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK) was created. Nearby, on the Vistula River, to which Krakow is once again happy to return, there is the original architectural concept for the new site for the Tadeusz Kantor Museum.

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