Holocaust Memorial Monument at Szeroka Street in Kraków

The Holocaust Memorial Monument placed at Szeroka Street in Kraków was inaugurated in 1994. It commemorates 65,000 Polish citizens of Jewish nationality from Cracow and its environs. According to the official website of the Center for Jewish Art “the monument is set against the grassy space in a small rectangular paved area with interlocking brick. Set into the brick is an approximate square made of set slabs of polished granite, upon which is set a low pedestal of the same type of granite slabs. On this is set upright a large, quarried rock with a rough surface on the sides and rear, and a smoother front upon which is fastened a thick bronze plaque. A tri-lingual inscription on the plaque refers to “65 thousand Polish citizens of Jewish nationality from Cracow and its environs.” who were killed by the Nazis. The inscription encourages the viewer to meditate on the fate of Krakow’s Jews. The inscription is in Polish, Hebrew, and English, and appears in raised letters on the plaque. A Magen David is set in the upper left corner of the tablet. The plaque is thick enough so that small stones, offered by visitors, can fit on its upper edge. On the base and lean against the boulder is a horizontal light granite slab, inscribed with the name of the Nissenbaum Foundation in large letters, and the foundation logo, an image of a Jewish gravestone (matzevah) flanked by the broken tree. This plaque appears to be a later addition and announces the sponsor more prominently than the victims who are commemorated. An openwork iron structure that suggests a building apse or a synagogue bimah surrounds the monument. The structure is supported by six metal poles, the carry an arched superstructure with a prominent Magen David set at the highest point. The structure is entirely open in the front to allow easy viewing of the monument and has five sides that are screened by a low iron fence that connects to the six poles. The vertical poles are fastened at the ground to the pavement-level granite slabs. The entire monument is then further surrounded by a fence of hip-high iron posts connected by thick iron chains.” These photos were taken in March 2023. More information: https://cja.huji.ac.il/browser.php?mode=set&id=14262