 Kazimierz was established by King Casimir (Kazimierz) the Great as a separate town. In the late 15th c. an autonomous Jewish district was established here. Depopulated and dilapidating after the Second World War, the district is currently recovering its original splendour It is the second largest, interesting complex of Jewish historic architecture after Josefov in Prague. Its historic centre is Wolnica Square but social and cultural life focuses around Nowy Square and Szeroka Street. |
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THE OLD SYNAGOGUE
Situated in Szeroka Street, the former commercial centre of Kazimierz, the synagogue was built in the 15th c. by Czech Jews and is the oldest synagogue in Poland. During the Second World War it was plundered and devastated by the Nazis. After the war, the synagogue has been renovated to serve as a Jewish history museum. One may see there a reconstructed bimah, a Baroque collection box, a Torah Ark (aron ha-kodesh), various ritual artefacts and everyday utensils. A separate room is devoted to the Holocaust of Krakow Jews. |
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REMUH SYNAGOGUE AND CEMETERY
It is the smallest of Kazimierz synagogues, built in the 16th c. and still used for religious worship. It may be visited outside service hours. Next to it extends a beautiful Renaissance cemetery with numerous historic tombstones. Matzevahs and sarcophagi, adorned with intriguing ornamental motifs, are being renovated one after another. The most venerated site is the tomb of Rabbi Moses Isserless (Remuh) which draws Jewish pilgrims from all over the world. |
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ISAAC'S SYNAGOGUE
A large Baroque synagogue was built in the mid-17th c. It was commissioned by Izaak Jakubowicz, a rich merchant and banker. Its arcaded portal and fine stucco-work adorn the building. Destroyed by the Nazis during the Second World War has been gradually renovated since the 1980s. Inside, visitors may watch two films about Jewish martyrdom. Interesting 17th-century inscriptions on the walls are worth to note. |
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TEMPEL SYNAGOGUE
The youngest of Kazimierz synagogues was built in the 2nd half of the 19th c. by the Association of Progressive Israelites. Services were delivered here in Polish and German; changes were introduced to the liturgy which raised protests among Orthodox Jews. The interior of the synagogue has been renovated by the World Monuments Fund. The women's gallery and the ceiling are richly adorned with stuccoes and frescoes in Oriental-Moorish stile. The fine 19th-century stained glass windows on the ground floor and the upper floor add to the charms of the synagogue interior. |
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CORPUS CHRIST CHURCH
One of the greatest churches in Krakow, funded by Casimir the Great. Various architectural styles blend together here - late Gothic (top of the facade), Renaissance (belfry), and Baroque (side chapels). In its atmospheric interior one can admire masterworks of sculptors' art - the 17th-century stalls in the chancel and the 18th-century pulpit, The high-altar contains the famous Nativity attributed to Tomasso Dolabella (17th c.) The left aisle contains, famous for its miracle-making power, an altar-mausoleum with mortal remains of the Blessed Stanislaw Kazimierczyk, a Regular Lateran canon. |
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ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH
The Augustinian church, funded by Casimir the Great, represents the Krakow Gothic style at its best, The great structure of the church looks particularly impressive after the recent renovation. The high-altar, a work of Krakow carvers from the 17th c. ornamental stalel and a 15th-century figure of Madonna with Child and wall paintings in the chancel with the scenes from the life of St Augustine, attract the viewer's attention in the church's bright interior. Medieval paintings can also be seen in adjoining ambulatories of the Augustinian Monastery. |
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PAULINE CHURCH ON SKALKA
The origins of the church date back to the 10 th c. It is traditionally believed to have been the site where St Stanislaus was beheaded by Boleslaus the Bold. In the left aisle is an altar with a scene of the death of the saint. The interior of the church is a real jewel of the Baroque style - pastel colours, gilt ornaments, sculptures of angels and saints. The rococo organ is especially valuable element of interior furnishing. In front of the church is a pond with the statue of St Stanislaus - legend has it that the quartered body of the martyr was thrown into that pond. |
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 The Main Market Square Surrounds |
Krakow Sightseeings