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SCHINDLER’S FACTORY & THE SALT MINES
In the last 3 days we have walked 8.54 miles. Getting in some steps. Today we were picked up by Barbara and Michael to go first to Schindler’s Factory. Schindler was a German who convinced the Reich that he could run the porcelain factory that had been owned by Jews and confiscated by the Nazis. He convinced them that he was not only going to make pots and pans but also artillery shells. His factory is a museum to the times in Cracow during the Nazi occupation. Cracow was not treated as an occupied territory but made a part of the third Reich. It had a Governor appointed by Hitler by the name of Franck. The museum contains photos, recordings and poster from the period of 1939-1945. The citizens of cracow endured increasingly bitter and difficult times. They were snatched off of the streets for no reason and summarily excited just to show the citizenry what they could do. People lived in terror. Schindler helped many Jews escape. He was awarded recognition by Israel for his bravery in saving so many Jewish lives.
We then went to lunch at a little restaurant across
from the entrance to the Salt Mines. It is located in a little town called Wieliczka. It was opened 700 years ago. Only 1.5 miles of underground galleries and tails are open to the public. They reach a depth of 442 feet. There are a series of tunnels to walk through interspersed with large galleries and interesting displays. There are three churches carved into the salt. One of the most impressive areas is the Chapel of St. Kinga with altarpieces, chandeliers and other carvings made entirely of salt. The Stasic chamber is the highest at 135 feet. The air is considered extremely beneficial to breathe and there is an underground sanitarium for the treatment of respiratory diseases. There are only two salt mines of this magnitude and the other is in Bolivia. It is not as deep as this mine. We got a special permit to take the elevator down instead of walking 440 steps. Thanks God for that. There were still many steps. There were three beautiful lakes and multiple small niches.
It was a very tiring day but very worthwhile.
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