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Podgórze

When Spielberg came to Kraków to produce his award-winning film 'Schindler’s List,' the result was a fast and far-reaching revitalisation of Kazimierz, Kraków’s former Jewish district. Ironically, however, it didn’t reach across the river to Podgórze, despite the fact most of the film’s historic events took place there, as did much of the filming. As Kazimierz became super-saturated with tourists and bars, predictions were that Podgórze would emerge as Kraków's next hip bohemian district; however aside from a small stable of rogue cafes, things were slow to develop and for a long time getting off the beaten path in Kraków was as easy as crossing the river to Podgórze. However, that is all beginning to change with the recent opening of Schindler's Factory and a new pedestrian bridge that will literally create a direct artery of tourist traffic into the district.

A district rich in natural beauty, tragic history and unusual attractions, the first signs of settlement in Podgórze date from over ten thousand years ago, though the Swedish invasion in the 17th century saw much of Podgórze levelled. Awarded the rights of a free city in 1784 by the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, the town was eventually incorporated as Kraków’s fourth district in 1915, and the following decades saw its aggressive development; quarries and brickworks were constructed, and a string of military forts added, of which Fort Benedict (K-5) is the only still standing. An indication of Podgórze’s age is Krakus Mound (K-5), excavations of which have dated it to the Iron Age. However, the trespasses of more recent history are what people most associate with the district. WWII saw the ghetto in Podgórze become the temporary home of Krakow’s Jews, the majority of whom were murdered there, in the nearby Płaszów camp or at Auschwitz Birkenau. The opening of the Schindler’s Factory Museum (K-4, Lipowa 4) has, in addition to helping the city bury the ghosts of the Holocaust, endorsed Podgórze’s status as a bona fide tourist destination.