Out of all four countries on the trip, I definitely knew the least about Poland; I knew the nation was famous for its pierogis, but was a bit unsure of how they contributed to the war effort. Because Poland was not a major power during the war, rather a place of occupation, I did not know exactly what “box” Poland fit best into in my mind because it was neither an Axis or Allied Power. Our visit to Schindler’s Factory was very eye-opening to me because it forced the me to embark on the same journey as a typical Polish citizen during World War II and the postwar era. The museum was very well done in the sense that each room completely transported the visitor to a different war scene- even the ceilings were different in every room to fully complete each landscape- and no detail was left out. The number of displaced and enslaved Poles was staggering, and even though we discussed this in class, it took me being in the museum to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. I was also blissfully naïve to the fact that the Poles continued to suffer even after the war was over. I know that they did not technically “win” because they were not a part of the Allied powers, but considered the end of Nazi occupation to be a nice consolation prize. However, Soviet occupation, as shown in the museum, was hardly much better, so clearly the war did not end in 1945 for the Poles like it did for the United States.
The rest of Poland was actually very scenic and pretty. The square in the middle of Krakow was very picturesque with its old, beautiful buildings and numerous horse-drawn carriages. The atmosphere was bustling and lively as tourists and locals zigzagged from stand to stand in the markets. I also really enjoyed the Jewish sector of the city, a community that seemed to be very close and proud of their regrowth since the end of World War II. Finally, walking through the park was gorgeous, as there was lush greenery surrounding the pathway as far as our eyes could see and hip eateries and restaurants tucked just off the beaten path. The Poland I saw offered a sharp juxtaposition to the Poland that was occupied during World War II. The people were very friendly to us the entire time we were there, and were very happy to point us in the direction of good food and cheap drinks. Although the Poles were targeted and marginalized during World War II and the Cold War afterwards, it was nice to see that the nation was building itself back up and that old wounds seemed to be healing.
