Nathan's Insights

Wednesday 10 April 2024
Highlights: The interactive tour of The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine, the intense visit of Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory

Today was a free day to decided what you wanted to do. In the morning most of the group, including Darby and myself selected a visit to The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine which cost 240 PLN each (roughly $94 AUD). For this we had transportation to the mine and back, entry to the salt mine and a guide.

After a breakfast at 7.30 at a small cafe across the plaza from our hotel we were off at 8.15 am for the drive to Wieliczka. On arrival we did some warmup exercises waiting for the mine to open for tours, this came in handy as this was a full experience in the Mine.

This mine still operates so we had to take full protective gear, including overalls, helmet, light (with battery pack), and emergency breathing equipment.

We started at 60 metres below the surface, later going to 100 metres below. At each section we stopped at we learnt something new by active participation, this included checking the air was suitable, to cutting wood, to crushing rocks, to squeezing into new sections, to making rope, to setting off a small charge, and even a mock evacuation.

We all participated in different activities. Darby got involved in the setting of the small explosive, finding a horseshoe, and rope making.

I was involved in sawing wood and crushing rocks. There was also lots of stairs and ladders. A very full-on experience over 3 hours.

We headed but to our bus and the ride back to Krakow happy and some, including myself a bit tired from the workouts at 60 and 100 metres below the service.

After a rest back at the Hotel I decided to walk to the Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory which is now a Museum. It was roughly a 40 minute walk. Darby decided to stay in the hotel and call home. For me this is something I had to see after the many times I had watched the Schindler’s List movie and biographical video on some of the key people included in what become the saving or 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.

The Museum at the Enamel Factory covers; some of the experiences of people working at the Factory, the lead up to the Nazi and Soviet invasion of Poland, and Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945.

The experience can be intense. You see photos and correspondence of victims. You see photos of Nazi’s and their many supporters happy during the occupation. You see news reports and information showing how life got worse and worse.

Seeing items from the liquidation of the Krakow Ghetto hits hard. These people at so little and it was just thrown out as their lives got even more desperate.

The interviews of the Polish workers provided me with new insight into the very poor conditions for the Polish people. While not as bad as the Jews they were also made to pay for fighting and losing to the Nazis.

Today was a very big and exhausting day, physically and emotionally. Tomorrow, we have a 6 am start to visit first Auschwitz complex, and then visiting Birkenau the primarily centre for the mass murder of Jews. I’m expecting a hard but necessary educational day.