For many centuries, Krakow and the province of Galicia was the diamond of Jewish scholarship and society in Central Europe. WWII changed all that. The Germans decimated the lives of over 16,000 Jews from the Kazimierz, (Krakow's Jewish quarter), and went on an extermination rampage throughout the province.

This sad history is often why most tourists, like myself, visiting Southern Poland for the first time, traditionally seek out the graveyard of Jewish life at sites like the former camps of Plaszow and Auschwitz.

But I found that one of Krakow's best kept secrets is the Galicia Jewish Museum, located at 18 Dajwor Street in the heart of the Kazimierz. The Museum, housed in a former furniture factory, is the ultimate place to visit if you want to be heartened and enlightened by the restoration of Jewish culture in this lovely city.

While cherishing the memory of the Holocaust, the institution is a vital and important wellspring that joyously celebrates the Jewish history and culture of Galicia.

Its existence is owed to the dedication and vision of one man, British photojournalist, Chris Schwarz, whose mission in creating the Museum was to commemorate Polish Jewry from a completely new perspective. In addition, he hopes the facility will also provide a forum for multi-cultural dialogue and understanding, and for the dissemination of exhibitions and publications to wider audiences around the world.

Recent exhibitions and events have included: an International Day for Darfur; a live performance of an ancient Sanskrit drama, an exhibition of paintings inspired by the Song of Songs and a cooperative photographic exhibition in tribute to the Polish Righteous Among the Nations.

There is also a permanent installation of large format photographs by Chris Schwarz called Traces of Memory, that offer a portrait of Jewish life and culture in Polish Galicia that can still be seen today, interpreting these traces in a manner which is informative, accessible, and thought-provoking.

The Museum’s continuing education program provides lectures and seminars on Jewish history, Holocaust studies, traditional dance forms, and lessons in Yiddish and Hebrew. I was fortunate to attend a evening of Klezmer music there that had the whole place rocking!

The Museum's Media Resource Centre is open to the public and houses a continually growing collection of films on various Jewish and Holocaust related themes, including a permanent collection of USC Shoah Foundation testimonies.

I browsed the book store which is one of the largest in Poland devoted to Jewish material, with an ever-growing number of titles in English, Polish, and German.

I found most of the staff bi-lingual and very ultra-friendly, and there is a very fine coffee shop where visitors can rest their weary feet and enjoy the permanent exhibits.

The Galicia Jewish Museum is open daily from 9.00 AM till 7.00 PM in the summer and from 9.30 AM till 5.30 PM in the winter, and closed only for Yom Kippur. Ticket prices are amazingly low for the value of a visit, costing 7 zlotys for regular admission and 5 zlotys for students.


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While visiting the Jewish quarter of Krakow, Poland, we happened upon a fairly new "museum" called the Galicia. Their permanent exhibit called "Traces of Memory" is one of the most potent and memorable presentations I have ever seen. The exhibition is a photographic tribute to Poland's vanished Jewish heritage. The large photos both informed and moved us and brought some closure to our reactions from other Jewish sites we had seen in Poland (like Auschwitz) as well as other Jewish places in Eastern Europe. The photos are the work of 2 photographers who also have added explanations and comments to each photo. The whole exhibit will only take about an hour to go through, but you'll be sorry if you miss seeing this stunning display.