Krakow is the second largest city in Poland, and one of the oldest in Europe. Situated on the banks of the Vistula River, it’s home to a little over 750,000 people. It began as a settlement on the current site of Wawel castle, where legend says lived a fierce dragon. In 1038 it became the seat of the Polish government and was one of the most important trade centers in Europe. Although it was attacked and burned by the Mongols, the city rebuilt and regained its splendor and importance. In 1364, King Casimir founded the University which still operates. He also founded the Jewish suburb Kazimierz, where we nested. The 15^th and 16^th centuries were Krakow’s Golden Age, where the city was a center of culture, art and commerce. In 1572, King Sigismund II died childless and infighting among the nobles weakened the central government. The throne went to France, and then to other foreign governments. After a brutal invasion by the Swedes and an outbreak of the bubonic plague, the capital of Poland was moved to Warsaw.

Eventually Poland was conquered and divided between three countries – Austria, Germany and Russia. Krakow fell into the Austrian section and became part of the Hapsburg Empire. Although it thrived culturally under Austrian rule, the people of Poland longed to be reunited under one rule. After WWI, their dream was realized, and Poland thrived, especially its large Jewish population.

However, in 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland and Krakow fell that September. The Jews were moved to a ghetto south of the city and streets and landmarks were renamed with German names. Eventually, nearly all the Jews of Krakow were murdered, many in Auschwitz, about 66 kilometers away. Only about 3,000 survived, a third of them saved due to the efforts of Oscar Schindler and his enamelware factory just south of the city. Although the inhabitants of the city suffered greatly during the war, the city itself was undamaged.

Soviet forces entered the city in January 1945 and the country was under Soviet rule until 1989. During that time, a large suburb, Nowa Huta, was built around a huge steel mill to the east of the city. An entirely planned area, it was meant to be a prototype of the perfect socialist city.

Now Krakow is booming. Over 50 international companies have a presence there, including IBM, Google and Cisco. Krakow is seen by many as the European version of Silicon Valley, and the unemployment rate is about 4%. It is once again a center of culture and education and is a growing tourist destination.