Photos from Plaszow

	This is a view of some of the housing that exists today in the former grounds of the Plaszow concentration camp, made famous by Steven Speilberg's "Schindler's List". After the war, the camp was completely destroyed, so nothing remains of Plaszow at all. Aver time, the boundaries of the camp became lost, and local Krakow development began to build housing blocks there. Today, the boundaries of the camp have been restored, but the hosing blocks remain.
	Many Krakovians wish to forget about the horrors that occurred to their fellow Jews in Plaszow. While no one faults them for not rescuing their Jews from the Nazis, as this meant their own certain death, today there is great tension between the survivors of the Krakow Ghetto and Plaszow and the local administration, which refuses to acknowledge the Jewish suffering that occurred here. This sign, indicating that the area you are in was once part of the Plaszow concentration camp, asks visitors to show the proper respect. It has only been erected in the last year, and does not mention Jewish suffering at all. Prior to this, no sign stood, indicating the camp entrance at all.
	This rather nice house, given the neighborhood, was the home of Commandant Amon Goeth, made infamous by Ralph Fiennes in "Schindler's List." Behind the house is the balcony where he used to shoot at prisoners who crossed the yard. Until recently, the house remained a private residence. But a local businessman has bought the home and plans to turn it into a museum.
	Currently a small collection of mid-income apartments, this house was used by the Nazis as their interrogation headquarters, just inside the camp grounds. Many executions were carried out in the basement.
	This is a view of the kind of housing that currently exists within the former grounds of Plaszow.
	This small monument was erected by a Jewish group.
	In Plaszow, there were two major death pits, initially made from artillery hits, plus many smaller craters that were, in turn, dug out for mass graves. This young couple is sun-bathing in one of them. The locals have always used Plaszow as a recreation park since the war, as it is a rare spot of grass and rolling hills in an otherwise, industrial part of Krakow. But, given the current signs that exist, telling visitors about the horrors that occurred here, it is shocking that such behavior goes one daily in Plaszow during the year. During the winter months, locals use the hills for sledding.
	This is a view of one the only marker of one of the two large mass graves. Along the tree line, you can see the crucifix.
	This is a close-up of the small monument.
	Currently, this is the only monument that recognizes Jewish suffering at Plaszow--shocking since the majority of the Krakow Ghetto was liquidated here. It has been funded by a Jewish group, not the city of Krakow. Locals continue to vandalize this monument, which Jews use as the site for their stones and candles of remembrance.
	This is the back side of the Plaszow monument to the "victims of fascism," which tops a hill overlooking the main road that runs by Plaszow.
	This is the front of the monument, with my fellow conference goers all around. The man with the side pack and the white hat is Bernard Offen, our guide. He is a survivor of both the Krakow Ghetto and Plaszow. His mother and sister were deported from the Ghetto, before he, his father, and his two brothers were sent to Plaszow. Since he was so young, he was actually sent to his death with a large group of other small children in the camp, but jumped from the cart before he reached its destination. He survived the rest of the time by first hiding, then by having his uncle help to smuggle him BACK into the camp, where he was watched over by many of the older prisoners. He spent most of his days in the rafters of his block, with a clear view of the mass shootings in the yard outside.
	A full shot of the monument at Plaszow.
	The massive gash through the stone figures is intentional, not accidental.
	As we were leaving Plaszow, a group of Israeli Military personnel were arriving by bus to visit the site.
	A shot of the monument from further away.

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