Cemeteries and memorials to visit Little Poland

When it was set up in October 1941, Majdanek was a labor camp, controlled by the SS, in which Polish and Russian prisoners of war and Jews worked in armaments factories. From April 1942, it became an extermination camp. From 1942 until July 1943, when the Red Army liberated the camp, over 350,000 people were killed here, including 100,000 Jews. Today, this grim site is home to a highly impressive reconstructed camp. Admission is free, but under 14s are not permitted.

This curious 34-meter-high grass-covered mound surrounded by a ring of brick buildings was built in the 19th century to honor Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of the independence struggle. Today, it is a popular place for walking and an excellent vantage point. On a clear day, you can see the peaks of the Tatras, although they are 100 km away. At its feet, the small chapel of St. Bronislawa houses a museum to the glory of Tadeusz Kościuszko.

On the Rynek, between the Cloth Hall and the Church of Our Lady, stands this bronze statue of the Romantic poet, the work of Teodor Rygier, unveiled for the centenary of Mickiewicz's birth in 1898. Perched on a pedestal, it is surrounded by four allegorical figures, symbolizing poetry, patriotism, education and heroism. It is a favorite meeting place of Krakow's citizens and the focal point of the Christmas market.

The Jewish community was quite important in the town. It had a synagogue and contributed to the dynamism of this rural town. Unfortunately, the Nazi barbarism reserved it a fate as fatal as the neighboring towns. Of these centuries of cohabitation, there is not much left, not even a cemetery, dismantled by the occupier. The monument that bears the name "Wailing Wall" stands on the site of this former burial ground.

Located on a hilltop and completely abandoned since the last survivors of the Holocaust left the area, you will see beautiful graves, some dating back to the 17th century. The Jewish cemetery in Szczebrzeszyn was established in the late 15th century. About 400 visible matzevot have survived to date, the oldest dating from 1545. In early 2021, the Coalition of Custodians of Jewish Cemeteries in Poland was formed and took on the responsibility of restoring and maintaining the one in Szczebrzeszyn. It is a quick visit.

At the end of Grodzka Street, before arriving in front of the Wawel, this wooden cross, installed in 1990, commemorates the victims of the Katyn massacre in 1940, when 22,000 Polish officers and managers were murdered on Stalin's orders and their families deported to Kazakhstan. Despite the evidence, the Communist authorities believe that it was a Nazi atrocity and it was not until the fall of the USSR that Boris Yeltsin acknowledged Moscow's responsibility.

It is the newest mound in Krakow as well as the highest in Poland. It was erected in honor of Marshal Józef Piłsudski after his death in 1935 using soil from World War I battlefields. It is located 1 kilometer north of the zoo. It can also be reached by following the marked trail from the Kościuszko Mound. It was the subject of a real memorial battle: the Nazis thought of razing it in 1941 and the communists removed the cross from its top.

Considering the city's history, which is closely linked to the expansion of Judaism in Europe, it is not so surprising to discover that it is one of the largest in Poland. As was often the case during the Holocaust, which also included the destruction of Jewish heritage, the cemetery was vandalized and largely destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. Today, there are approximately 3,000 surviving graves, mostly dating from the 19th century.