Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory

Fabryka Emalia Oskara Schindlera

The factory behind Schindler’s List, now the “Kraków Under Occupation, 1939–1945” museum, which recreates wartime city life through immersive scenes.

Schindler’s Factory lies in the Podgórze industrial district on the south bank of the Vistula. It was an enamel factory run by German businessman Oskar Schindler from 1939 to 1944. By employing Jewish laborers, he saved about 1,200 people, and Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List made it world-famous. In 2010, the factory’s administrative building became a branch of the Museum of Kraków, with the exhibition theme “Kraków Under Occupation, 1939–1945.” Forty-five reconstructed scenes show the daily life of the entire city under Nazi occupation: prewar streets, confiscated newspaper offices, apartments in the ghetto, the brick buildings of the camps, Schindler’s original office, and the “List Room” with glass walls covered in the names of those who were saved. The exhibition focuses on the city and its residents rather than on Schindler personally, but it is information-rich and well designed in its route. Allow about 2 hours if you are interested in World War II history. Admission is about 40 złoty, and it is free on Mondays from 10:00 to 14:00, with free tickets that must be reserved online and sell out quickly. In peak season, daily visitor numbers are limited, so book a timed slot in advance at muzeumkrakowa.pl. Next door is the contemporary art museum MOCAK, and nearby you can also visit the Ghetto Heroes Square with its empty-chair sculptures and the Pharmacy Under the Eagle (Apteka pod Orłem) memorial. Getting there: take a tram from the Old Town to the Plac Bohaterów Getta stop and walk 8 minutes, or walk 15 minutes from Kazimierz over the footbridge. Note that the factory’s main production hall no longer exists, so only the administrative building can be visited.

Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory

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