Born on 24th June 1889 in Krakow, Joachim Metallmann, son of Menasze and Regina, née Friedner, was a philosopher of natural science, methodologist and professor at the Jagiellonian University. A St.Ann’s Gymnasium (currently Ist Secondary School) graduate, Metallmann studied Philosophy and Physics at the Philosophy Department at the Jagiellonian University between 1907-1912. He obtained the PhD title in 1912. Since 1917 he held the position of a gymnasium teacher in Mielec and Krakow (the Adam Mickiewicz Gymnasium number VII, the Hebrew Gymnasium, Vth Secondary School). From 1931 up to the outbreak of WWII Metallmann was a Philosophy lecturer at the National Pedagogium in Krakow. In 1932 he went to France on a scholarship and obtained his habilitation after returning to Poland in 1933. In 1934, having the…
Today we remember Rabbi Jakób Polak. Living at the turn of 14th and 15th century, he was the first Rabbi in Poland known by his name. In Krakow, Polak set up the first yeshiva in Poland. This Talmudic academy initiated the expansion of the Jewish studies in Poland. According to Majer Bałaban, ”Jakób Polak was an unusual person with an unusual life. Born in Germany, he learned at the famous yeshiva in Nuremberg from Rabbi Jakób Margulies. Polak excelled at school and became a Rabbi in Czech Prague at a very young age. The bond between Prague and Krakow turned out to be a lot more than just strong and as a result, Mojżesz Fiszel gave Rabbi his own daughter, Estera as well as full control and…
On 17th June 2022, celebrations of the anniversary remembering the holocaust of the Tarnów Jews began at noon, at the Buczyna Memorial in Zbylitowska Góra. Tadeusz Jakubowicz , Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow, said: 80 years ago, occupiers turned the Jews’ lives into hell. Were these people bad? No, they were not. They were simply Jews. Manager of the Krakow branch of the Institute of National Remembrance, habilitated doctor Filip Musiał, who was also in attendance, read out loud a letter by Chairman of the Institute of National Remembrance, PhD Karol Nawrocki. The Jewish Religious Community in Tarnów was represented by Adam Ryba and the ceremony was ran by Adam Bartosz Approximately 40,000 Jews lived in the Tarnów ghetto in June…
Born on 17th June 1891 in Kołomyja, Jakub Stendig, son of Anschel, was a Krakow-based architect. His projects include buildings at Wietora 7, Komorowskiego 5, Karłowicza 13 and Metalowców 3. A 1915 graduate of the Buildings Department at the Industrial School of Krakow who also studied Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow where he obtained a builder’s licence in 1931. During the occupation times, Stendig was forced by the Germans to develop the infrastructure of the Płaszów camp. After the WWII outbreak, he was made accountable for organising and managing a Construction Departent. Apart from that, Stendig volunteered to rescue synagogue monuments. He collected several items and documents which he then catalogued. These included various liturgical relics like 150 Torahs, curtains and lambrequins, sacred…
Born on 13th June 1869 in Krakow, Rafał Saul Landau, son of Hirsch and Jetti, née Wasserberg, was the Councillor at Krakow City Council between 1905-1933, President of the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow between 1938-1939 , a supporter of assimilation and a Chairman of the Association of Progressive Israelites (1918 – 1939). Landau graduated from St.Jack Gymnasium in Krakow (1886), followed by the Faculty of Law at the Jagiellonian University (1890). He obtained his PhD title in 1892. He started his career as a lawyer in 1898. During WWI Landau was the Chairman of Jewish Cheap Cooking. Throughout the interwar period, he held the position of the President of the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow (1918-1939). Since 6th January 1933 he was the Chairman of a…
On 6th and 7th June 1919 Krakow witnessed anti-Jewish riots. According to the Police Director, 59 Jewish merchants fell victims of these events.They lost approx. 4,1 mln Crowns. 222 people were arrested, 63 of which were improsoned, while over 100 were released pending trial. All these events were pure robbery which cost lives of 2 random people. The main targets of these robberies were shops located at Starowiślna street. The Police did not do anything to prevent these robberies. It is worth noticing that Krakow authorities appealed to the citizens for staying calm by saying ”Let us not allow anarchy take us over. Let us ignore the Bolshevik havoc. Let us not give our enemies a weapon against ourselves”. The Labourers Council of Krakow expressed their point…
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…
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…
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…
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…