The Rynek and the Oskar Schindler Museum

Today I had the privilege of visiting two museums here in Krakow.  And . . . it snowed here all day!!!  I guess God is preparing me for the Cleveland winter! :)

The Rynek Museum is underground and was just completed in 2010.  It's a fascinating journey from

the beginning of recorded history for Krakow (around the 1100's) and up to the present day.  The whole Krakow center was torn up for the years it was being constructed.  Now, it's a fascinating journey from cemetery to the first market to the present day plaza.  It showed skeletons, blacksmith tools, leather shoes, jewelry and the historical story of Krakow was told through the great use of technology.  It was amazing and took more than 2 hours to see everything there.  The videos were superbly narrated by a historian of Krakow.  More than 6 small theaters tell the story of history from the earliest recorded notes to the building of the Rynek.  Krakow was a major trade route from the East to the West and many travelers ventured through it.

The history of the Nazi invasion was also fascinating.  Begun in 1939 the Germans utilized Krakow as a fortress and confiscated many of the beautiful works of art that were housed here.  They dis-
assembled the major altarpiece at St. Mary Basilica carved by artist Veit Stoss.  It took him 12 years to carve and paint the beautiful figures which were taken down by the Nazis and warehoused somewhere in Nuremberg.  When they discovered the pieces, they were moldy and in disarray.  It took Veit two additional years to re-figure the magnificent triptych piece over the main altar in this dramatic and beautiful basilica.

The second Museum I visited today is in the Jewish ghetto of Krakow, a place called Kazmirez.  Schindler, as you may know from the movie, "Schindler's List," employed many Jews at his ceramics factory just outside of Old Town.  But, furthermore, he fed them well and provided medical care at a time when Jews were simply slaves of the Nazi regime.  He saved many lives and is heralded as a hero to the Jewish people.  He was able to straddle between the Jews he hoped to save and the Nazis.  Arrested several times, he was never tried and found a way always to get out of the worst situations.