Kraków is a city steeped in history, much of it harrowing – it was Nazi-occupied during the Second World War, when street names were changed (the main square, Rynek Glowny, became Adolf Hitler Platz) and its residents faced unspeakable atrocities. Yet this is also a city of majestic beauty and a deep sense of fortitude. To visit now is to honour its past but also embrace its future.
That’s exactly what I do in the former capital (Warsaw took its place in 1596). My reason is more personal – I’m half Polish and, despite having never been, still have distant relatives in Kraków. My grandmother escaped as a 19-year-old, four days before war broke out – a fragmented family story that I’m still trying to piece together – and I want…
You're reading a preview of
Red UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2024