Will foreign tourists who visit Krakow find out that they have come to a city founded by the Germans, which after years of stagnation, was lifted by the Austrians, and where anti-Semitic inscriptions "Jude raus" can be seen at every step on the walls?
Krakow guides, who are fighting to prevent their profession from being open to all, have decided to provoke. As Minister Jarosław Gowin is not convinced that the image of Poland may suffer from the fact that foreign guides repeat the stereotypes about Poles, they decided to use the example of a trip around Krakow to show what the deregulation is at stake.
While standing in the Market Square near St.Mary's Church, a German guide could say to his group: "In the Middle Ages, Krakow, devastated by the Tartar invasions, was rebuilt under German law and German settlers were brought in. They built, among other things, this magnificent Marienkirche, in which the famous altar was carved by the brilliant German artist Wit Stwosz. Today it is in a deplorable condition! ".
If the same group later went to the Barbican and looked towards Matejko Square surrounded by magnificent 19th-century buildings, they would hear another part of the city's history: "Since the mid-17th century, we have been dealing with the progressive decline of Krakow. It is associated with the fall of a country torn by internal conflicts. This poses a serious threat to neighboring countries - Russia, Prussia and Austria, which enter the border areas and take control over them. The Austrian government is established in Krakow. At that time, the city experienced a boom, became an important center of culture and art. the pouring out the Vistula. The most prominent president of this period was a man of German roots - Joseph Dietl. "
Krakow guides agree that foreign tourists are surprised by the multitude of inscriptions "Jude raus" on Krakow's walls. An unfamiliar foreign guide will explain it like this: "Even though several dozen years have passed since the end of the war, and the Jewish minority was practically exterminated by the Nazis with a passive or even favorable attitude of the local population, anti-Semitism is still very strong in Poland. the largest number of survivors from Krakow owed their lives to the German Oskar Schindler ".
Foreign trips, especially from Israel, are very surprised when they learn that the "Jude raus" signs on the streets of Krakow are a sign of a fight between the fans of the two teams. We explain that Cracovia was a club where many Jewish sportsmen played, hence the associations. We also say that the Jews settled in Kazimierz centuries ago, because King Casimir the Great created conditions for them to live when they were persecuted throughout Europe.
Questions about Polish anti-Semitism are on the agenda. The visitors do not ask if it exists, but how big it is! It is very important that a Polish guide talks about it in Krakow.
The university creates room for many manipulations, such as that Copernicus was German and Maria Skłodowska-Curie was French, who had to leave Krakow because she was not given a chair as a woman. When I ask about her person, trips abroad do not recognize her, they only react to the slogan: "Madame Curie".
What will a Western guide say? Maybe this: "German scientists have contributed immensely to the local academy, and the most prominent of them was Copernicus, the famous astronomer who revolutionized the idea of \ u200b \ u200bthe universe."
No one, not even a foreign guide, will deny that Krakow is teeming with life today and is having a great time. Who do Poles owe it to? Foreign guide: "Poles regained their freedom after the fall of the Berlin Wall, earlier there were protests in East Germany and Hungary." For a foreign tourist, Poland is usually a terra incognita. They know almost nothing!
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