Krakow, the second-largest city in Poland, was home to 70,000 Jews in 1939, before the massacres in Auschwitz-Birkenau and other death camps began. Over the next several years, 55,000 Jews were expelled, and of the 15,000 that remained in Krakow, almost all were murdered by firing squad, gas chamber or oven at Nazi death camps. Auschwitz is just an hour's drive from the quaint city center, and the site of the former Plaszow concentration camp is even closer, with just a few miles separating it from the colorful Krakow markets. Both stand in stark contrast to the charming city life.
On the morning of the remembrance day, known as Yom HaShoah, the streets of Krakow are bustling. Residents go about their routines, many with little knowledge of the day’s significance. The Huffington Post interviewed 15 residents including businessmen, restaurant owners and construction workers, who all answered no to the following questions: Is there a holiday today? Is there an event today concerning the Jews? Is there an event concerning the Holocaust? Is it Holocaust Remembrance Day?
Meanwhile, Jews fill the streets of Auschwitz once again, but this time to celebrate survival, in an internationally organized procession called the "March Of The Living." Along the march from from the site known as Auschwitz I to Birkenau, or Auschwitz II, the marchers pass through nearly empty streets with only a few onlookers. Most of the windows in the town of Oświęcim are closed and yards empty.
The following photos depict contrasting scenes from Krakow and Auschwitz.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/16/holocaust-remembrance-day-krakow_n_7074292.html?utm_hp_ref=travel&ir=Travel and provided by entertainment-movie-news.com
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