Oskar Schindler's Factory, Krakow (must see)

Oskar Schindler’s Factory is one of the city’s most compelling places to encounter the history of the Second World War. Located in the Podgórze district, the former enamelware plant was taken over by the German industrialist Oskar Schindler in 1939. During the war, the factory produced metal goods for the German army, but it became far more significant for the lives it saved. By employing Jewish workers from the Kraków Ghetto and later from the Płaszów concentration camp, Schindler used his position and resources to protect more than a thousand people from deportation and death. His efforts—later documented in Thomas Keneally’s book and Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List—turned the factory into an enduring symbol of individual courage within a brutal system.

Today, the site no longer operates as a factory but houses a major branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków. The permanent exhibition Kraków Under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945 transforms the building into an immersive narrative space, guiding visitors through recreated streets, rooms, and archival displays that trace the city’s wartime experience.

The main attractions of the exhibition are Schindler’s office and the Płaszów Concentration Camp Room, both located on the third floor. Upon entering the museum, the ticket office is visible straight ahead. After passing it, a door on your right opens into a hall containing the elevator and the staircase leading to the upper floors, where the main exhibition unfolds. The layout of the exhibition is intuitive, guiding visitors through rooms and hallways in a natural sequence until they reach the next staircase.

On the third floor, after progressing through several rooms, you will arrive at a hall depicting everyday life between 1941 and 1943. Two rooms are located on the right side of this hall. The second room is the more significant one—Schindler’s office—which features the famous glass installation ''Survivors’ Ark,'' filled with enamelware produced by the factory. After leaving the office and passing through three additional rooms, you will reach the Płaszów Concentration Camp Room. You will recognize it by its circular layout and the wooden gate reinforced with barbed wire. As its name suggests, the room is a re-creation of elements of the Płaszów camp and is designed to convey its tense, oppressive atmosphere.

Beyond these key attractions, the museum offers a broader portrait of daily life, resistance, and propaganda through photographs, documents, and objects once used in the factory. These displays appear throughout the exhibition’s rooms and corridors. Move with the narrative at your own pace, and you will gain a powerful understanding of Kraków’s wartime history.