Roots: Krakow & Great Moravia

Hello and welcome to a rainy Czech Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is August 5th and we're wrapping up Week 5 of our Czech Summer Adventures.

Last Saturday, we threw together a blog post about kids' Indian Camp before heading out to Moravský Krumlov to see Alfons Mucha's famous painting collection titled "Slovanská epopej" (The Slav Epic). Most well-known for his Art Nouveau-style theater posters of women from his Paris days, The Slav Epic is his life's work and masterpiece. Attempting to capture the history of the Slavic people, the work includes 20 enormous paintings. "The cycle depicts the mythology and history of Czechs and other Slavic peoples." In Mucha's own words, "...it was as early as 1900, that I decided to devote the second half of my life to work that would help to build up and strengthen the sense of national identity to our country. I am convinced that every nation can only continue to develop successfully if its growth is incessantly and organically connected to its roots and that the knowledge of one's history is essential for maintaining this connection."

Which became the theme for the past week: learning about history and the roots of a people.

(Source: Mucha Foundation)

On Tuesday, we headed to Krakow for a mini-getaway. Our first stop was the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy. This pilgrimage site includes the Convent Chapel dedicated to St. Joseph, the final resting place of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Apostle of Divine Mercy next to the original Divine Mercy image painted by Adolf Hyla. In St. Sister Faustina's own words from her diary, "In the evening, when I was in my cell I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. (...) After a while, Jesus said to me: 'Paint an image according to the pattern you see: with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.' I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel and [then] throughout the world (Diary 47)."

(Source: Flikr)

Wednesday, we headed to the Jewish quarter of Krakow to visit the Galicia Jewish Museum. The permanent exhibit, "Traces of Memory" is an excellent 5-part series that covers Jewish life and culture before, during, and after WWII, today's presence, and efforts of preserving and re-establishing Jewish community across the Galicia region which included Krakow, southeastern Poland and part of western Ukraine. 

What I appreciated most about this exhibit was the in-depth look at the Jewish life in villages throughout Galicia. I learned to look for the signature circular windows of synagogue architecture and that many synagogues have been abandoned or repurposed as schools, government buildings, or shopping centers. Some facts I collected along the way:

The oldest synagogue in Poland, the 16th-century Rema Synagogue, is still in regular use. "It is named after the outstanding 16th-century scholar Rabbi Moses Isseries (known by the Hebrew acronym 'Rema') whose work on the specific details of Jewish law are still in place today.

Wooden synagogues were common throughout Polish Galicia until the Germans burned them down during World War II. The last wooden synagogue is in the village of Wisniowa (near Krakow).

Sign posts across the Polish countryside denote Jewish memorials.

Summer 1942 - "At the core of the Holocaust was a short, intense wave of mass murder in Poland: in mid-March 1942 some 75% or 80% of all victims of the Holocaust were still alive, while 20% or 25% had perished. A mere 11 months later, in mid-February 1943, the percentages were exactly in the reverse. In Galicia, the summer of 1942 was particularly catastrophic as during this time the Germans systematically destroyed Jewish life there." (Source: Galicia Jewish Museum)

In all, 6 million Polish citizens died in the war - roughly 3 million each of ethnic Poles and Polish Jews.

Auschwitz is in Galicia.

After the museum visit, we walked through the Jewish Quarter where we saw the Old Synagogue, the Rema Synagogue, and several other synagogues - notable for their small circular windows - on our way to Wawel Castle.

Note the circle window and plaque commemorating Jewish poet Mordecai Gerbirtig

Wawel Castle

I give kids lots of credit for their patience and time in absorbing all this history and culture. As a reward, we spent the afternoon at a park near our accommodation this included some fun playgrounds and a swimming beach. (Hot tip: If you're looking for affordable accommodation, try college dorms!)

Thursday, we started our day with a swim at the Zakrzówek Quarry. Per the link, this former limestone quarry now features 5 swimming pools set right in the water. It is superb! The weather was cloudy and somewhat crummy, but we insisted on swimming. "Water's water, no matter if it's from a pool or from the sky!" I said to my Czech sister-in-law.

The last stop we made in Poland before heading back to Czechia was in Wadowice, the birthplace, and home of Pope John Paul II. We enjoyed a cappuccino and a "kremowka", a cream cake that was JP2's favorite) and visited the Basilica.

We returned to Czechia full of adventures and a greater appreciation for the history and events that took place in this region. Primed with all this knowledge, Dědeček (grandfather) took us back to Velehrad and the surrounding area to teach us more about Velka Morava (Great Moravia.) There, we visited two archeological sites of churches from the 9th century and the time of Saints Cyril and Methodius. 

Sady - Špitalky

I don't remember learning about Great Moravia in school, which made me especially appreciate the significance of the history lessons, all bringing me back to Mucha's original inspiration for The Slav Epic "...that every nation can only continue to develop successfully if its growth is incessantly and organically connected to its roots and that the knowledge of one's history is essential for maintaining this connection."