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The Krakow Ghetto was one of several established by the Nazis.
The area was walled off from the rest of Krakow. The plaza where the chairs are located is where Jews were selected for transportation to concentration camps like Auschwitz.
There are 68 chairs in the area, which represent 68,000 Jews sent off from the Krakow Ghetto to Nazi death camps.
The Krakow Ghetto was divided into two sections based on fitness to work for the Reich.
The grey building was for the police.
A pharmacy present during the ghetto years still exists. It has been restored as you can see from the photo below.
A Pole, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, received a special permission from German authorities to still sell pharmaceuticals to Jews and to keep his pharmacy open during the Nazi occupation.
Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski made significant contributions to the restoration.
I found the presentation of the chairs deeply meaningful as a way of remembering someone who once sat amongst us.
Chairs are for the living and offer a dignified presence. Chairs represent hospitality. And the offer of a seat to another in a crowded space is often a great kindness.
As a psychologist, I thought of the effective empty chair technique, which sometimes helps patients express themselves to a person and even roleplay a response. I recall the value of the strategy with victims of violence.
On a personal note, I recall visiting a relative following the death of their father. His favourite chair was was empty. No one dared sit there.
Note
All photos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton in October 2024. They are free to use in education and noncommercial activities. Just cite this post.
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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, commonly known as the Holocaust Memorial, is a poignant tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Located in Berlin, it was designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold. The memorial spans a 1.9-hectare site and features 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae" arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field¹².
The idea for the memorial originated in the late 1980s, driven by a citizens' initiative led by journalist Lea Rosh and historian Eberhard Jäckel³. After years of debate and planning, the German parliament decided in 1999 to establish the memorial. Construction began on April 1, 2003, and was completed on December 15, 2004. The memorial was officially inaugurated on May 10, 2005, marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe¹⁴.
The stelae vary in height, creating an undulating wave-like form that invites personal reflection and interpretation. Beneath the field of stelae lies the "Place of Information," an underground information center that holds the names of approximately 3 million Jewish Holocaust victims, sourced from the Israeli museum Yad Vashem¹².
The memorial's location is also significant, situated near the Brandenburg Gate and the site of the former Berlin Wall's "death strip." This area once housed key Nazi government buildings, including Joseph Goebbels' urban villa³⁴.
(2) Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. http://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/.
(3) Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe.
(4) The Holocaust Memorial – Berlin - History and Facts | History Hit. https://www.historyhit.com/locations/the-holocaust-memorial-berlin/.
(5) Museumsportal Berlin - Museum – The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. https://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/en/museums/denkmal-fur-die-ermordeten-juden-europas-ort-der-information/.
Perhaps a more potent controversy was the association of the company that made the coating on the stones and the product used to murder Jews. See this quote and the link.
"Work resumes on Berlin Holocaust Memorial after halt in construction when it emerged that company profited from the production of Zyklon B gas during the war."
Cornwall is a ceremonial county in southwest England adjacent to the county of Devon.
See the links to places we visited in Cornwall below these photos.
We arrived at Penzance railway station from Plymouth to begin our exploration.
Next, we took the bus to Marazion.
Cornwall Explorer
Marazion, Cornwall
This lodge below is near the bus stop.
Off shore is an island known as St Michael's Mount where you will find incredible views above steep cliffs, beautiful gardens, and an old chapel with brilliant stained glass artwork.
Betws-y-Coed is a charming village and community nestled
in the
Conwy valley within Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Its name translates to
“prayer-house in the woods” in Welsh.
Enjoy some shopping and lunch or refreshment as you wander
about the village.
St. Mary’s Church in Betws-y-Coed, Wales,
is a captivating Anglican
parish church with a rich history.
The church was built between 1870 and 1873
to accommodate the growing number of summer visitors to the area. It replaced a
medieval church dedicated to Saint Michael. The Lancaster partnership of Paley
and Austin designed it, with the commission won by Hubert Austin. The principal
benefactor was Liverpool businessman Charles Kurtz.
St. Mary’s features a cruciform plan with
a tower at the crossing and an organ chamber to its south. The exterior is
constructed in rubble stone with sandstone dressings, and it has slated roofs.
The architectural style is Transitional Norman. Notable features include lancet
windows, a five-light chancel window with plate tracery, and a rose window.
Inside, you’ll find arcades with pointed
arches, a font in black and burgundy marble, and a sandstone pulpit in Early
English style. The chancel floor is tiled, and the choir stalls and reading
desks follow an Arts and Crafts design. The exquisite stained glass includes
works by Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster and others based on designs by Edward
Burne-Jones.
Betws-y-Coed is a haven for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.
With two
rivers running through it, the village feels like something out of a fairytale.
Explore the verdant forests, cascading waterfalls, and incredible walks in the
area.
Pronunciation
An approximation of the way to say the town's name is
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