The holocaust of Krakow’s Jews began at the end of May 1942 together with checking Kennkarte which  allowed for staying in the ghetto.  The purpose of this initiative was to select people staying illegally in the ghetto. German occupational authorities had a rule, according to which, the unemployed and people over 55 years of age were to be expelled. Thus, a valid stamp confirming the employment was a determining factor. On the night of 30th/31st May 1942, the first group of Jews was gathered at Plac Zgody only to be sent to the Bełżec camp two days later.  The initiative continued  until June. Following Elżbieta Rączy’s words in her book ” Zagłada Żydów w dystrykcie krakowskich w latach 1939-1945” (Holocaust of the Jews in the Krakow district during 1939-1945), around…

Józef Reinhold , born on 25th May 1884 in Tyśmienica, was a judge and law professor at the Jagiellonian University. He graduated from a secondary school in  Stanisławów in 1902. Reinhold soon started studying law at the Faculty of Law and Political Skills of the University of Lviv.  After two years he moved to the Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna, where he obtained his PhD title in Law in 1907. Between 1908-1909 Reinhold did complementary studies in Berlin on the famous F.Liszt seminar. After completing these studies, he had an internship at the local Trade Court. In 1910 he got a position at the National Court in Krakow. According to Andrzej Dziadzio, Reinhold did not consider moving to Krakow a sacrifice. As a Galician Jew, he regarded…

Born on 25th May 1865 in Rzeszów, Dawid Alter Kurzmann was a local merchant, social activist and philanthropist in Krakow. After moving to Krakow in 1887, he lived at Mostowa 10. After the 1941 expulsion, Kurzmann was forced to reside at Plac Zgody 16 (currently – Plac Bohaterów Getta). He was connected with the Chassidic movement and with the Reb Aron house of prayer located at Józefa 33. At the same time, Kurzmann was very active at Agudat Israel – an international party uniting Orthodox Jews, where he held the position of a vice-chairman of the Krakow branch. Being incrediby active in the local Jewish community, he joined the board of a newly- opened Jewish Religious Community in 1937, where he was in charge of religious matters. What is more, Kurzmann…

Ignacy Landau , son of Mojżesz and Rebeka, née Breiter, was born on 23rd May 1870 in Krakow.After graduating from St. Jack’s Gymnasium in Krakow (1887) and the Faculty of Law at the Jagiellonian University (1891), Landau obtained his PhD title in 1893. He was a lawyer as well as a Krakow City Councillor (1905-1924, 1926-1934). Ignacy Landau held the position of Deputy Mayor of the city of Krakow three times (1929, 1931, 1933). A supporter of assimilation, a co-founder (together with dr A. Gross) of the Party of Independent Jews, a member of the Polish Democracy Party, a member of the Sejm Krajowy for the Democrats (1908-1913), a representative of the actual equality of the Jewish community, a signatory to the Jewish declaration (August 1914) which supported Poland’s efforts…