WW2Museums.com
Oskar Schindler's Emalia Works in Krakow
In January 2007, Bas Stoffelsen visited the former Emalia works of Oskar Schindler in Krakow in Poland. This enameling factory was managed by the Sudeten-German industrialist. He employed cheap, Jewish labor. He treated his Jewish employees well and succeeded in saving 1.100 of them from the Nazi claws by moving them to a labor camp near his new enterprise in Brünnlitz in the Czech Republic. After the war Schindler was awarded by Yad Vashem (Israel’s Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority) the title “Righteous Among the Nations” for saving these Jews. His story became famous by the moving picture “Schindler’s list” by Steven Spielberg.
Address: Nr. 4 ul. Lipowa, Krakow, Poland.
In January 2007, I visited Krakow, Poland with a friend. And of course we wanted to pay a visit to the famous factory of Oskar Schindler. From the city it is just within walking distance. No direction indications in the streets, the factory did not appear on the tourist map, but with a good feel for direction we arrived at the place to be. In the middle of a poor and decaying area, which is indicative for everything in Poland, we found the factory. Also in a state of dilapidation and not open for visitors. Except when you knock on the right door…
A little man opens up. Whether we can come inside for a look around? “Of course”, he answers in his best of Polish English. He tells us that they are busy restoring; it is to become a museum. Everything will be restored into the original situation. We are pleasantly surprised, it seems we are lucky, we may enter where others probably turn away at the sight of the closed gates. The man guides us through a number of small rooms. Restoring does not yet show. No money, that’s the problem.
Not much later he shows us the staircase towards Schindler’s office. Here the renovation is apparent. It is not much unlike a modern office. Bright blue colored. Unfortunately the man’s English is not sufficiently available to explain to us in detail what the renovation exactly entails. But in one way or another bright blue does not seem to me a color that was already an office fashion in the days of the Second World War.
Schindler’s office, which we enter at the end of the stairs, is equally empty and deserted. We roam around, looking out of the windows but unfortunately we cannot see the inside of the factory which is at the other end of the staircase. The office is at the right hand side of the stairs, the factory at the left. (the view you get in the movie).
Upon insisting he guides us outside where the decay, as much as on the front side, becomes visible. At least you get an impression of looking at a historical site, but it doesn’t cheer you up.
As now appears, we had as well been able to get around the back as the yard of the factory is open to the public. With a key he opens a door to a separate small building. Also here deterioration all over. Proudly he points out that this is also where the Jews worked. Now my ears are pricked This decay indicates that there was not much influence by third parties over the past decades. But unfortunately, it has been used as an exhibition area for art and photography projects.
He guides us inside again. In the meantime we have established that he is a security guard. Whatever he may guard is not clear to me but I do understand that he likes to earn an extra dime from curious tourists. I pull my wallet, but he has another surprise for us. The original desk of Oskar Schindler.
I hear well, I see well, there it is in the open. Not in between the garbage but just put in a corner of the corridor. Amazing. The renovation has only just begun, everything has been subjected to humidity and decay and here we have the desk of Oskar Schindler. A historical piece of furniture, heritage, just like that without any protection. To be touched by the acid fingers of lucky tourists and under the polluted skies of the decaying city of Krakow.
Do you think the Jewish community is aware of this? Does Spielberg know this?
Pictures and text: Bas Stoffelsen
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