Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The cathedral of Wrocław, Poland is located outside of the city center but it is a very nice walk over there because you’ll have to cross a beautiful river island and nice bridges. The church named after St. John the baptist has been built from 1244 on in gothic style. Continue reading “Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela”
The town hall or Ratusz is the town’s landmark of Wrocław, Poland. The first document showing its existence dates back to the year 1299 and over the years it served for administration tasks and as a court – today it is a museum. The building is located on one edge of the Rynek, a ring in the city center that is in fact a square. Continue reading “Ratusz and Rynek”
While searching for a place to stay in Wrocław, Poland we found a company offering apartments in the city center, directly opposite to the shopping center Galeria Dominikańska. From there it is only a short walk to the town hall and the Rynek. Continue reading “Exclusive Apartments”
Autumn is road trip time! And after looking on a map of Poland there was only one spot left, I haven’t visited in the past: Kraków. And as I have not been to Praha during the last 15 years I decided to cross the entire Czech Republic with stops in Praha and Brno and to drive over the border to Kraków. The most important reason indeed was, that I had not visited a concentration camp before – something that felt odd as I was even travelling to Jerusalem, Israel to learn more about the Shoa.
There are many old mines that can be visited in Germany, especially in the Harz mountains. But the salt mine in Wieliczka close to Kraków, Poland stands out in different dimensions. At first the vast size has to be named; it is somehow like a city under the earth – with a restaurant, a museum and different shops. You can walk around down there for hours.
Kraków, Poland is a wonderful medieval city that survived the centuries without being destroyed or harmed. That is why it has a very unique atmosphere and style. It was until 1596 the capital of the kingdom of Poland and most Polish kings are buried within the cathedral of Kraków. Here you’ll also find the second-oldest university in northern Europe directly after Praha, Czech Republic.
I chose the Puro hotel in Kraków, Poland only because of its location: it is directly opposite of the main railway station and therefore really easy to find. When checking in I was pretty surprised because it had nothing in common with the mostly shabby hotels found close to German railway stations.
“Whoever destroys a soul,
it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world.
And whoever saves a life,
it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”
– Jerusalem Talmud, Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9
An emotionally stunning and disturbing place that one has to see once in a lifetime. When Nazi Germany occupied Poland they started to use an old army site close to the town of Oświęcim, Poland as a concentration camp and work camp – at first for Polish opposition members. Forced labour especially for the German company I.G. Farben was one of the main goals, even when the first Jews arrived.
Continue reading “Industrialized mass murder”
“Those who do not remember the past
are condemned to repeat it.”
– George Santayana