Autumn Break: Krakow and Auschwitz

Thing 1's school has lots of vacation breaks. Despite the fact that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are not holidays here, they get a total of 6 weeks off between their autumn, Christmas, winter and spring breaks. That does not include any Polish holidays (including Easter Friday and Monday). So, this affords families plenty of opportunities to travel throughout the year. With Autumn Break coming up we scheduled a trip to Krakow and Vienna while my mother was visiting.

We flew to Krakow on Saturday morning 10/27, our 6th wedding anniversary. Initially we were going to travel by train, but the time to travel between cities was almost as long as driving there ourselves. We found airfares between all cities that were roughly about $200 USD for all three segments. So, we decided that 1 hour on a plane to each destination was preferable. It worked out well since it gave us more time in each city. The trip was about an hour and with grandma and my aunt in flight we had an extra pair of arms for Thing 2.

We stayed at the Abella Apartments in Krakow. The Abella Guest Rooms and Apartments was a lovely residence very close to Old Town Krakow. The owners were helpful to us and available throughout the day unlike many guest houses where the reception is closed most of the day.

The formal entrance into the Old Town begins at the Barbakan (fortress) before crossing through the Florianska gate. The gate was the entry exit point on the way to and from Warsaw. This leads to Florianska street lined with merchants, cafes, and artists selling their creations. The street leads you to the market square.

Krakow's Old Town Market Square is quite large, double that of Warsaw. The Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) is at the center of the square with cafes, restaurants, residences, and clubs surrounding it's perimeter. The Sukiennice is thought to be the oldest shopping mall in the world dating back to the middle ages. It's still serves the same purpose, as vendors sell all kinds of crafts inside. The Kosciol Mariacki is a lvoely church located at the corner of ul. Florianska. It is quite beautiful inside with lots of religious art abound.

I was quite impressed by how beautiful Krakow is. Krakow was at one time the capital of Poland. It is one of the few Polish cities that was not in ruins at the end of WWII. In fact, it is said that the Communists had no place to build after the war so they had to select a site outside of Krakow to create the industrial city of Nowa Huta which became the ideal for communist propaganda. Ironically, its main square, previously Lenin Square, is named Ronald Reagan Square today.

In the short time we were there, we saw many of the main sites in Krakow. The market square in Krakow is quite large, double the size of Warsaw's market square. The streets leading to the square are lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. One shop/café that we visited was a "pijalnia czekolada" known in English as a chocolate bar. Yes, you read correctly. At these establishments throughout Poland, you receive a menu of chocolate drinks, chocolate desserts and you can order individual truffles that brought to you on raised silver tray. You can also order coffee and add flavors to the chocolate drinks, like mint or cherry, etc. It was quite a treat.

10 km outside of Krakow and up to 1072 feet (372 meters) below the surface are the Wieliczka Salt Mines. We went down a good 600 steps into the subterranean salt mines. It was a bit cold down there, but it was well worth it. The best part - an elevator at the other end waiting to take us back up. We were led through a labyrinth of passages and caves into sections of the mine that were named for famous persons who have previously visited or famous Poles.

Different scenes depicting Polish stories are carved out of rock salt. A bit like a Wax museum, but far better. One story we were told that was depicted here was that of the Hungarian princess Kinga who was to marry the sovereign of Krakow. She wanted to bring a wealthy gift for her fiancé. She asked her father for a salt mine as a dowry, which he provided. She threw one of her rings into a salt mine of her father and traveled to Poland. Near Krakow, in Wieliczka she told the people to dig a deep pit. The miners found salt, and enclosed in the first piece of salt they mined was the ring of Kinga. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass in a subterranean cathedral here made of rock salt.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 both enjoyed the mine. Thing 2 loved feeling the texture of the walls. I was waiting for her to try to lick the wall. Thing 1 thought is was really cool to be in a cave 400 feet below the surface.

Krakow is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, Jagiellonian University. Both Pope John Paul II and Copernicus were students here. Further, Pope John Paul II was the Archbishop of Krakow before he became Pope. Wawel Castle is situated on a Wawel Hill. It was the seat of Polish Kings until the capital was moved to Warsaw. The Cathedral within the Wawel complex contains catacombs with the remains of many of the former Polish Kings and Queens. It is a beautiful site.

On a more somber note, my mother, aunt and I took a day to travel to Oswiecim known to the world as Auschwitz. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling you get as you step foot at Auschwitz. You feel a heavy weight on your shoulders and it is not for the faint of heart. Children under 14 are not allowed which is why we left the kids with the Cat for the day.

The Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum opened in 1947. Those who survived insisted that this site be preserved to bear witness for future generations of the horrors that happened here. Much of it remains unchanged from 1945.

As you walk through the gate at Auschwitz I, you see the phrase "Arbeit Macht Frei" translated into "Work, shall make you free." Thousands of prisoners walked through this gate at Auschwitz each day to long hours of labor. In the evening, they returned exhausted, carrying the corpses of those who had died while a camp orchestra played marches. The camp consists of row after row of concrete buildings each providing a different function for the Nazis. Tours in Auschwitz take you to the different blocks were prisoners lived. The buildings here were built by the Habsburgs for their military when this part of Poland was under the Austria-Hungarian Empire.

Block 10 is where the infamous medical experiments took place. Here Dr. Mengele performed experiments on young children, particularly twins. Mass sterlization experiments were also carried out here. You just can't wrap your mind around that.

Between blocks 10 and 11 is the "Death Wall so named because from 1941-1943, the SS shot several thousand people in that courtyard. Block 11 served as a the camp jail and Zyklon B trials took place here. It is rumored 750 prisoners died in these initial trials. There are still signs throughout the camp with a skull warning people to halt or be shot to death on the spot.

We visited the crematoriums. The smell of death just seems to linger in the air. The special group of prisoners assigned to burn corpses in the crematorium The(Sonderkommando) was temporarily quartered in block 11 away from the other prisoners thereby keeping this a secret which is why the Nazis were able to continue this mass extermination as long as they did.

Each block holds a different exhibit. Each exhibit gives visitors insight into the daily lives of prisoners here. The Nazi's initially used Auschwitz as a camp for Soviet POW's and Polish intellectuals who were part of the resistance. Some Jews were also brought here, but the majority were sent to Birkenau.

Following the Auschwitz I tour, we met the guide at Auschwitz II - Birkenau walking through the Gate of Death. A former SS guardhouse tower is located above the gate and overlooks the complex.

Mid way through the camp is the selection ramp. They divided the strong/healthy from the elderly, ill, pregnant women, & kids. Those classified as fit for work were placed in the camp. The others, 70-75%, were sent to die in the gas chambers.

Train tracks run through Birkenau with barracks on either side dividing the men and the women. The barracks truly resembled barns. One that I will never forget was a barrack with a row of benches with wholes. They were toilets. The Nazis made prisoners use the bathroom together to strip them of any human dignity they may have had left.

At the end of the tracks, walking from the SS guardhouse, is a memorial to those who died here in several languages.

Compared to Birkenau, Auschwitz I was much better kept. People who came to Birkenau were pretty much waiting to die where people in Auschwitz I were used for work and other sick purposes.

It was a very emotional and thought provoking experience. I think everyone should visit at least once to bear witness to these atrocities.

From Auschwitz, we returned to Krakow to prepare for the next leg of our trip: Vienna.