About this talk

From its inception in the 14th century to the early 19th century, Kazimierz was an independent royal city located south of the Old Town of Krakow. For many centuries, Kazimierz was a place where ethnic Polish and Jewish cultures coexisted and intermingled. In 1941, the Jews of Krakow were forcibly relocated by the German occupying forces into the Krakow ghetto and most did not survive the war.

Since 1988, a popular annual Jewish Cultural Festival has re-introduced Jewish culture to a generation of Poles who have grown up without Poland's historic Jewish community. It was in Kazimierz Jewish District where Steven Spielberg decided to shoot "Schindler's list" in 1993. Since then, there have been parallel developments in the restoration of important historic sites.

In addition, some Jews have moved to Kazimierz from Israel and the United States. Currently, Krakow is experiencing a miraculous rebirth of Jewish life as the local Jewish community grows. Young people are finding out about their Jewish roots, there's a thriving JCC, and a Jewish preschool has recently opened in the city. Join us to learn about all of this and more!

About Anna Maria

Anna Maria Baryła is a licensed tour guide in Krakow with over 8 years of experience in providing meaningful tours for international visitors to Poland. She holds a B.A. in History and Jewish Studies from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In her work as a tour guide, she specializes in the Jewish History of Poland and Polish-Jewish relations and has guided over 30,000 individual visitors to Krakow. She is passionate about Krakow and is always happy to share her love of the local culture, history, and cuisine to create a compelling narrative that will help understand the complexities of Polish history.