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Schindler's factory, krakow

Traveling to krakow in a few weeks with our three children (7, 9, 11). Would Schindler's Factory be too overwhelming for them?

Posted by
1068 posts

I was there last year. Unfortunately, I went to several sites that were about the Holocaust and can't separate out every image or exhibit. I reviewed my pictures and can't recall any (at Schindler's Factory) that were terrifying of and by themselves, but it might be pretty hard to explain the Nazi regime, mindset and history to them. The museum is dedicated to Krakow under the Nazis more than the Holocaust per se. Not sure if this was a helpful answer and I hope someone else can answer the question better.

Posted by
1840 posts

No, I don't think so. We were there last October. The museum in very new and very well done. There are reproductions of photos from the Nazi era, but I don't think they would be disturbing to children who's parents put them in a educational context. I would compare the Schindler museum with the Dutch Resistance Museum in terms of how the material is presented. There is a nice snack room there. It appears part of the factory site is a research facility. It is a very long walk to the museum and with children it would be better to take one of the very available tourist modes of transportation.

Posted by
173 posts

Hi Lisa, I was at the museum about 2 years ago. This was probably the most well done museum I visited on my entire Europe trip. It doesn't have many really graphic depictions of the Holocaust, but as the previous poster mentioned it is really long. It took me about 2 hours to get through. That being said, I still think its worth the trip. It mostly focuses on the Jewish community in Krakow during that period and the exhibits are pretty interactive. One thing I would mention is that the museum can be tricky to find. It is not on the map that is given to most tourists so maybe look up directions on line before you head there. I spent a long time wandering around a Polish neighborhood looking for it. For me, that is rather enjoyable, but with 3 children maybe not so much ;)
Happy travels!

Posted by
2709 posts

The Museum's permanent exhibition is actually "Krakow Under Nazi Occupation." As it is the Schindler Factory, it includes several portions specific to Shindler's saga. It is indeed an excellent museum, we spent about 2 1/2 hours there with our own time limit, we could easily have doubled that time to listen to all the audio segments available. As for your children, there is nothing that should cause a problem if they have been given any education about the Holocaust, and you can gauge their ability to handle the material by prior to your trip showing them "Schindler's List" in your house. This would also give you a chance to see their interest and ability in visiting Auschwitz, this is a powerful and emotional memorial, and if one is in this area and already visiting Schindler should be a mandatory visit in order to help understand the horror and why there is the phrase "never again."
The Factory is on 4 Lipowa, and is easily walkable crossing the pedestrian bridge from the south end of the Kazmiericz district. Note that it is free on Mondays but closed the 1st Monday of every month (at least this was so in 2011).

Posted by
1840 posts

It is not some sort of office building. It is a museum of importance. It is a big deal. You have to go inside to be able to offer comments on the efficacy of the museum. To say it is a "no big deal" is to have a small-minded approach to 20th century history.

Posted by
2709 posts

If it is "tough" to view Auschiwtz, then perhaps that is a good thing to help one understand what actually being there would have been about. One point five million people were exterminated (much as one would pour boiling water on an anthill) there. This is not meant as a positive experience. It is a sobering memorial, in the hopes that something like this may never happen again (and it looks like the world as a whole has not yet gotten that message)

Posted by
173 posts

"I saw it through a bus window since it's still some sort of office building" Yes, it is the Schindler Factory. Now there is a museum inside.

Posted by
2709 posts

And yet we have international leaders who say this did not happen.
And recommended is the importance of the Czestochowa Shrine. Did something scientifically provable happen there?

Posted by
8 posts

Ralph, what do you mean "Zero historical importance to it other than a movie was made about it"? I hope you are aware that Schindler was a real person, that nearly all the people named in the movie really existed, that nearly all of the events depicted in the movie really happened (there was some dramatic license - it's a Speilberg film, after all), and that Mr Schindler was one of the very few people who risked his life and fortune to 'do the right thing' under extreme pressure. One could say that Schindler's story is a mere footnote to the story of the German attempt to exterminate all Jews everywhere, but that's just the point: that he was so rare, that hardly anyone else risked so much to help other people, especially when there was no advantage to him in doing so.

Posted by
1068 posts

Aside from the response about Schindler being real etc., (which adds to the site for me)..... noting the factory is of zero historical importance is like saying don't visit the Prado or the Louve because they are just buildings. All else aside, it is a very good museum about the Nazi occupation of Krakow. As stated earlier, it is not about the Holocost per se, but about the occupation. Thus, I find it difficult to compare Schindler's Factory to Auschwitz or other Holocost sites I have visited. The fact that it is located in a (to some of us) building of some historical importance, is just a plus.

Posted by
173 posts

Lisa, I'm sorry that your question has turned into a debate over the importance of a museum that aims to educate about the horrific events of the past. If you are looking to give your children an idea of what happened during the terror of Nazi reign, I would say that this museum is excellent. It is not just a bunch of plaques on walls to read. There are life sized displays and many actual historical items. The exhibit is divided into different rooms that are made up to be a train station, office, living quarters, even the rock quarry, etc. The Schindler Factory is more interactive than other museums (despite the fact that it looks like an office building... ).

Posted by
2709 posts

It's a shame, but is it any surprise that a German doesn't want people to see what WW2 was all about?