**Hey there my Hive friends and followers!**

This post has been long overdue. Two years to be exact. It was in March 2021 when I visited the site of what used to be a Nazi concentration camp in Plaszow, the southern suburban neighborhood of the Polish city of Krakow. Why it took me so long to get to working on this post you wonder? Because the place is so overwhelmingly gloomy and depressive that I put the pictures that I took there deep in my Krakow photo file and haven´t really dared to look them again. But I couldn´t forget about my visit of this tragic place and I knew that sooner or later, I should and I would write a post about it because we need to commemorate these events, no matter how hard it is, to make sure that such a bleak history won´t repeat itself. 

So finally, here I´m today, presenting what must have been the most difficult post for me to ever write. It will probably be also one of my longest posts as it comes with as many as 45 photos that I took at the site. I decided to put all of them into monochrome since it felt like it was more appropriate to the commemorative character of the post. 

When it comes to former concentration camps in Poland, people usually tend to think of the well known sites like those in Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Treblinka or Sobibor but in fact, there was one right in Krakow as well. Originally built as a forced labor camp, the Plaszow Concentration Camp was in operation from October 1942 until January 1945. These days, the site is accessible to the public and there are many different memorials, monuments and educational signs remembering the atrocities that happened there and paying tribute to the victims. 

At the entrance, visitors are asked to respect the grievous history of the site.
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![IMG_20210318_122808.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYDdJcWAA6Gbf6urak6yzaHCpeswKGedQtmWurCGGYVHK/IMG_20210318_122808.jpg)

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Here is a sign with some general information about the concentration camp. I did my best to capture the signs in a way that the texts on them can be visible in the pictures so please excuse the unusual and sometimes also uncomfortable angles and perspectives. You may also need to zoom in a bit to read the captions in some cases...
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![IMG_20210318_124113.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmfB8je3R4oSVscQnouTfDhwDzT2TZmQ7kaqaDkwjjKHzk/IMG_20210318_124113.jpg)


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The Plaszow Concentration Camp was built on the site of old Jewish cemeteries and the ruins of the cemeteries are still visible in the eastern part of the camp. 
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![IMG_20210318_135837.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmZJDe6diNfog7yhArpcSYR9fSHXpqtWZ9J9Xi2PiaK55P/IMG_20210318_135837.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_122854.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQe8y4MvtZeDm4wCxdnzQkYTny7ayPbeddbj547PmkqUN/IMG_20210318_122854.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_135917.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmWtuSgNwjqDJc7UTvf4tgCQBiS5uPibydE76w68rLYdTq/IMG_20210318_135917.jpg)



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Now, you will see a series of photos of memorials, tombstones and signs with authentic testimonies of some of the prisoners. Please be warned that reading the testimonies may be very disturbing and uncomfortable. They all include an English version of the text too so I will leave them without any further comments...
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![IMG_20210318_124605.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmfUECBJcedCMzDC1992M15VDQYfVq6iFd4atQvZ8ht5bX/IMG_20210318_124605.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_123909.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmP914wH7NRqhKzhxNoQQ2agCCGGEmBpUWjehR8JqgHE4w/IMG_20210318_123909.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_123527.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmNuGcTephXJyNUDSTRZAbaYPS9R1Z6CMzLi8zw2Z4diKE/IMG_20210318_123527.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_124716.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmfJ4WF3ZQv5ZxurzpfUFYP5vgHCkCubKFjkzTfsHtaNCu/IMG_20210318_124716.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_131255.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbwTBTuZsyuhiUsrSQc9m7gvD2trosUn5hAWLBAvgYvCP/IMG_20210318_131255.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_131200.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmV1hqyPVb4zGvaZXgYxxMrrK8x8MfJBumQPoSD5bS9gSP/IMG_20210318_131200.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_125718.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmViD4JPxArEuFGyfPJzJccbyEqVvHwAWM3hU34neQkLxe/IMG_20210318_125718.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_132205.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmeSE5vPv6FTcevwxy1bD4FKGnYm733hxSucT1XkwRktJg/IMG_20210318_132205.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_122358.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmeRfdyvZjiBqFWvJhU9GSW5NK5XntNvmWkEspSLDpNEaK/IMG_20210318_122358.jpg)

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![IMG_20210318_123655.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmPHP4KR2f7vxYMmGYd2AjJ5sWKwizHdHXVwf3vt94q4sm/IMG_20210318_123655.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_135733.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmeKimKe723EMxmRs67UsPgFmDoRF9SETPzYKovPgZVaHK/IMG_20210318_135733.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_131458.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYNQyyGjEje2vGAimCmH95eQKx1pD6R4bSBtRLcYZWFCb/IMG_20210318_131458.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_124539.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmRWVKv1LnohspGfcMY7jWRCjHdURQHDaPfeWATc28iyif/IMG_20210318_124539.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_123232.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmRcDLqaXbFx1WhnJy5Kzu2BNMHoyFBFJfzreKygNiZXhW/IMG_20210318_123232.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_123827.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmckg2FuU2SzMbM5EmMFsTjfNZM2gqQUHttXBc3oyeYXpA/IMG_20210318_123827.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_130326.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmaau2cTtwSDBpw7cioeY4XUPZ5JYjF37rwKcnNPSK4h8r/IMG_20210318_130326.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_131359.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbbzwZofQbwZBiyRKw4WUQr51NAqHeaD88ASjdm3HKTCD/IMG_20210318_131359.jpg)

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![IMG_20210318_122419.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmX6bPdrZQYKFsn3nWDdyfsFNupbRYUy5kqsHu8mRW51Sw/IMG_20210318_122419.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_124358.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmSAH7GpeCYkLRauH933A3TUR1PWR5M3eHCFxwozUwahnf/IMG_20210318_124358.jpg)

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![IMG_20210318_123109.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYvVcsMpqak5M3pqy9HSmgK28V4QLZbfNbsejMCYFNFAc/IMG_20210318_123109.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_133521.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmY3P5PWUTmYaZSqWHWQ2QLfxDhpb9srfwMbRB2B3kPiDc/IMG_20210318_133521.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_125427.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmTJ6nXPrmwQhe3sY9iVQqwCcdyTaPbXmGzLVcNbUHZBXC/IMG_20210318_125427.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_124629.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmUMasrQiSts5CwhtMw9mSu7kqNGSAU77yjJpTtDYuox5Y/IMG_20210318_124629.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_131514.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmXuYczfdniwhdrvjFnCPtypGh9CofdhGHxGRLeA6iRviJ/IMG_20210318_131514.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_125256.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmZ6Zhk2xSj2RyNxEBBRBceUU9TX6LwN9bexr9crZg7Ysk/IMG_20210318_125256.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_124015.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmcyiLdVuSeThC6BDzUb4uE23SbKXijp9Re18AmDKtA5tT/IMG_20210318_124015.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_130021.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmVi8XoXdJBkWzFGkEVdcypDZwWwzgA2GEM9fRK1CTonuP/IMG_20210318_130021.jpg)

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![IMG_20210318_130916.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmegTBmXVdY516Cc1T6aATZuqDygrzNUuv6nfqMLTJMZgU/IMG_20210318_130916.jpg)

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Very difficult to read and watch, I know. But in fact, there are many more of these signs at the site, I took photos of just some of them. As you might have noticed on one of the signs, a large and magnificent pre-burial hall was a part of one of the old Jewish cemeteries that the camp was built on. The Nazis used this architectural jewel as a barn for the cattle and shortly before the evacuation of the camp when the Red Army was about to liberate it, they destroyed the hall with a great pleasure. The remnants are still there...
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![IMG_20210318_132001.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmcxQbdzFw88ywNbk5Be9huAyf2y4wDpSeA7nZBHdunwon/IMG_20210318_132001.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_132040.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmXKJanLbqxYpFbHm4e2aTUGPGgcCMWwpqwmnqZCXjbA6x/IMG_20210318_132040.jpg)



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Close to the ruins of the hall, there is the Grey House. Originally home to the employees of the old Jewish cemetery, the house was inhabited by the concentration camp staff. Many prisoners were tortured and killed in the basement of the house. It was also where Amon Goth, the notorious commandant of camp had his office. The Grey House hasn´t been altered much since the war, it´s still there but it may be turned into a museum at some point in future.
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![IMG_20210318_131843.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmUZCHzyhCWTp2NjUJCtR8SzRQ7QaLbMbbQyTp1U4Lv1N4/IMG_20210318_131843.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_132624.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQXxmGcEtVrgm94L5S5Sttes5GdTtncUfCETxtYU2fiKH/IMG_20210318_132624.jpg)


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Talking about Amon Goth, he probably was the most hated, feared, evil and sadistic person in the camp. According to eye witnesses: "he would never start his breakfast without killing at least one prisoner". Goth found perverted pleasure in beating, torturing and killing the prisoners, no matter if they were men, women or children. He was quite accurately depicted in the 1993 Steven Spielberg´s epic historical drama the Schindler´s List. The house where Goth lived was called the Red House and just like the Grey House, it´s still there too. It took me some time to find the Red House in the camp though, I even had to ask some locals for directions but then, I spotted it. It looks almost exactly the same as it does in the actual historical photos...
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![IMG_20210318_135203.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmVuTRsh8usVqV2VjDbwBQzevAHuBMAiZNpUvbeiJmmxeL/IMG_20210318_135203.jpg)

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The balcony that you can see in the picture was Goth´s favorite place to shoot randomly picked prisoners from. Those scenes are depicted in the Schindler´s List movie as well. I was shocked when I found out that [the house was bought by a private developer, turned into a luxury villa](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4197060/Schindler-s-List-House-Horrors.html) and now, some people actually live there... 

Talking about the Schindler´s List movie, most people don´t know that the camp scenes from the movie were actually shot in the Liban Quarry, a huge limestone quarry which is located just a few minutes walk from the camp. As you might have noticed on one of the signs above, the prisoners of the camp used to work in the quarry. The remnants of the stage set from 1993 are actually still there in the quarry and they are accessible to the public. You can still see the actual watch towers from the movie there...
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![IMG_20210318_121646.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmS7CPx9qMXsj4RiNKnd3nQSrT9FX2ktmE75g8LRoS99M3/IMG_20210318_121646.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_141944.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmXcDUTsRGA4SgC5LrN9bDN6jeHqQjLvCPEHXy2cmsquhu/IMG_20210318_141944.jpg)


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I think that the Krakow authorities purposely don´t promote this location as a tourist attraction (for understandable reasons of course) because every time that I was there (I actually used to go to the quarry quite often before I learned what happened there), there always were just very few to no people around. I believe that a vast majority of tourists and visitors on Krakow simply don´t know that some famous scenes from the iconic movie were shot in the quarry and the locals who do know may avoid the place to respect its tormented past. With just a very limited human presence, nature has been taking over the quarry and from what I have heard, it´s possible that the place will be turned into a nature reserve as some very rare and fragile ecosystems have been forming on the limestone background. 
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![IMG_20210318_141501.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQghF8PKiziGpnsMGNY3iZP3zgGhBQdDoc4TjxVX9Y8sZ/IMG_20210318_141501.jpg)

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Let me wrap up this post with a few landscape pictures taken at the site. That will also give you a better idea of the size of the camp. 
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![IMG_20210318_125856.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYAPPrZbvs5RGsb9SijSFEJBS7fYYhzRQ2GLGStMk5gLk/IMG_20210318_125856.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_130512.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmSVW9a83h59FFrc5HjC6Wb1HawqsDEwbikctHdh3Ru15n/IMG_20210318_130512.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_130742.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmVERZzHtVHqJT6dV5BLQQqvU1MoQ38PoCGwrt3Lws4fj8/IMG_20210318_130742.jpg)
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![IMG_20210318_140149.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmU29kGj9MLLXqn7zfhanzJD2iZer62D3T37rdtMR6DpEN/IMG_20210318_140149.jpg)





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As you can see, a great part of the former Plaszow Concentration Camp bears no marks of the tragic past anymore. It´s overgrown by vegetation, there are trails and paths in there where people can go for walking and jogging. If you stay away from the parts with the memorials and signs informing about what happened there, you would have probably never guessed that at that very site, thousands of people were exposed to some of the worst atrocities that the human race is capable of. 

As I already mentioned in the perex, this post was very difficult for me to write but I think we should never forget what happened in Plaszow and in many other similar places around the world. As one famous saying goes: "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." and I think that these days, unfortunately, remembering the past is more important than ever. 

[//]:# (!pinmapple 50.03119 lat 19.95771 long Commemoration tour around Plaszow Concentration Camp in Krakow d3scr)

Thank you for your attention. 
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Česky / Czech:

Zdravím do #cesky. Tenhle post se mi opravdu nepsal lehce, ale když už jsem si s ním dal tu práci, tak jsem se rozhodl dodatečně přidat i český tag a dopsat pár vět v naší mateřštině. Mnozí z vás už asi byli na exkurzi v Osvětimi, ale málokdo ví, že jeden koncentrační tábor byl za války i přímo v Krakowě. Jmenoval se Plaszow a dnes naleznete to, co po něm zbylo, ve stejnojmenné krakowské čtvrti. Co se zde za války dělo, se dočtete na speciálních informačních tabulích s autentickými výpovědi svědků a přeživších. Některé z těch tabulí jsem vyfotil, texty na nich jsou v angličtině a polštině, tak snad si s tím nějak poradíte. Ještě dodám, že hned vedle plaszowského koncentráku je velký vápencový lom, kde vězni z tábora v nelidských podmínkách dřeli a umírali. V tomto lomu byla také natočena velká část slavného Spielbergova velkofilmu "Schindlerův seznam" a dodnes jsou tam k vidění kulisy (např. strážní věže), které tam po sobě filmaři zanechali... O Plaszowě a přilehlém lomu ale drtivá většina turistů a návštěvníků Krakowa nemá nejmenší tušení, takže tam nikdy nepotkáte masy lidí jako třeba v Osvětimi nebo v Treblince. Mimochodem, z pietních důvodů jsem všechny fotky upravil do černobílého provedení, pestré barvy se k tomuto místo opravdu nehodí...

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<center>![7ohP4GDMGPrUMp8dW6yuJTR9MKNu8P8DCXDU9qmmivwA3A1QLkipSxWEChTncCX3jvtMRvcYq1rkYyx9mzv36Uegna899gd6PWdp.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYZkx4rgUJnEVYcYfEMAhvguXANzKnnLCvtuJcmSsNnYB/7ohP4GDMGPrUMp8dW6yuJTR9MKNu8P8DCXDU9qmmivwA3A1QLkipSxWEChTncCX3jvtMRvcYq1rkYyx9mzv36Uegna899gd6PWdp.jpg)</center>
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