http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/ Laodamia's latest photos on Fotothing Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:56:31 +0000 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:56:31 +0000 http://www.fotothing.com/ http://static.fotothing.com/images/smalllogo.gif http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/ http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/1d170f9ee2e895a4097976b1dc4eb037/
Today I invite you for a foto trip to Lublin. A city that was once called a Jerusalem of Poland. There was a huge synagogue complex in the city centre apart from all other small houses of prayer around the city. Now there is just one such room left and there are no services held, for they can't gather enough people (!). It's sad that there so little left after such a big community.

The Old town in Lublin. A charming place with lots of small, mysterious streets and painted houses.]]> Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:12:48 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia)
The Old town in Lublin. A charming place with lots of small, mysterious streets and painted houses.]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/22d3fe0a527c59e7bc14764479c0b6f8/
Today I invite you for a foto trip to Lublin. A city that was once called a Jerusalem of Poland. There was a huge synagogue complex in the city centre apart from all other small houses of prayer around the city. Now there is just one such room left and there are no services held, for they can't gather enough people (!). It's sad that there so little left after such a big community.

Houses at the old town square in Lublin. Cafes and restaurants - tourist season in full bloom.]]> Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:12:48 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia)
Houses at the old town square in Lublin. Cafes and restaurants - tourist season in full bloom.]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/65039748ebf812eae4b52dd44568113f/
Today I invite you for a foto trip to Lublin. A city that was once called a Jerusalem of Poland. There was a huge synagogue complex in the city centre apart from all other small houses of prayer around the city. Now there is just one such room left and there are no services held, for they can't gather enough people (!). It's sad that there so little left after such a big community.

Old town in Lublin. I am not sure whether there are any people living in these housed. Some of them show signs of abandonment...]]> Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:12:48 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia)
Old town in Lublin. I am not sure whether there are any people living in these housed. Some of them show signs of abandonment...]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/de40d152e09d9711a82812808241e6a9/
Sandomierz is another city where once the Jewish community was thriving. What's there now? One synagogue converted into a state archive, one cannot even visit the place... a lady with a typical Eastern European attitude to people barks at you saying that it's closed to public (although I KNOW that there are polichromies and pieces of Hebrew caligraphy on the walls inside!), and a cemetery - closed as well.

Jewish cemetery in Sandomierz. A wall built of old gravestones, to destroyed to be left stnading, or dug out somewhere else in the city. It's a common practice to save such things - convert them to a wall.]]> Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:12:48 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia)
Jewish cemetery in Sandomierz. A wall built of old gravestones, to destroyed to be left stnading, or dug out somewhere else in the city. It's a common practice to save such things - convert them to a wall.]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/19e372d0c6f0a94bd058be11ea019106/
Sandomierz is another city where once the Jewish community was thriving. What's there now? One synagogue converted into a state archive, one cannot even visit the place... a lady with a typical Eastern European attitude to people barks at you saying that it's closed to public (although I KNOW that there are polichromies and pieces of Hebrew caligraphy on the walls inside!), and a cemetery - closed as well.

A wall of the Jewish cemetery in Sandomierz. Closed for visitors. I don't think there are many of them, apart from occasional trips from Israel.
Do you want to know what it says on this wall? A Polish issue - away with Jews.
If anyone ever tells you that there is no antisemitism in Poland... laugh at them. It is rooted on some kind of subconscious level, for some of these people (probably the authors of this 'graffiti' too) have never seen a Jew in their lives.]]> Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:12:48 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia)
A wall of the Jewish cemetery in Sandomierz. Closed for visitors. I don't think there are many of them, apart from occasional trips from Israel.
Do you want to know what it says on this wall? A Polish issue - away with Jews.
If anyone ever tells you that there is no antisemitism in Poland... laugh at them. It is rooted on some kind of subconscious level, for some of these people (probably the authors of this 'graffiti' too) have never seen a Jew in their lives.]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/6ccf2a444d1755816cdbddd136f4170d/
Now we shall move to Kazimierz Dolny, a city on the Vistula river, set up by the king Casimir (Kazimierz) the Great somewhere in the 14th century. Jews were allowed to settle there and constitued a great part of the citizenry.
Than Poland ented a very bad 'war period' and invasions of various powers destroyed the prominence of the city as well as the Jewish community. Not to mention what happened during the war.

The new cemetery in Kazimierz Dolny. Monument built from the gravestones (matzevot) that were found in various places in the city (the Germans used them to pave the streets for example). The crack through which you can pass to the second part of the cemetery symbolizes the break in Jewish history - Shoah. ]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:23:21 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia) Than Poland ented a very bad 'war period' and invasions of various powers destroyed the prominence of the city as well as the Jewish community. Not to mention what happened during the war.

The new cemetery in Kazimierz Dolny. Monument built from the gravestones (matzevot) that were found in various places in the city (the Germans used them to pave the streets for example). The crack through which you can pass to the second part of the cemetery symbolizes the break in Jewish history - Shoah. ]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/f5d3617bd5839043401385a3dda0ea9d/

Today starting with something that should make you stop for a while in your everyday rush. Think it over. Consder. I know it is a bit depressing. But we often try to escape these topics not to ruin our perfectly ordered lives.
They are still out there.

Jewish cemetery. A part of a monument devoted to children killed by the Nazis.]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:16:05 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia) Today starting with something that should make you stop for a while in your everyday rush. Think it over. Consder. I know it is a bit depressing. But we often try to escape these topics not to ruin our perfectly ordered lives.
They are still out there.

Jewish cemetery. A part of a monument devoted to children killed by the Nazis.]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/2370a80ae196a842f37670905c906762/
Warsaw. Part of the former Jewish district (before the war) and the ghetto during the war. Just this and the opposite building are still standing. A bit dillapidated. But as you can see they (the city? Jewish organisations?) are trying to do sth about it. There is a synagogue nearby (the only one in Warsaw) and a kosher shop ( I was amazed when I saw it! :-)]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:16:05 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia) Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/f5d39a62aa6629de8089fc4d1a91b7df/
Now we shall move to Kazimierz Dolny, a city on the Vistula river, set up by the king Casimir (Kazimierz) the Great somewhere in the 14th century. Jews were allowed to settle there and constitued a great part of the citizenry.
Than Poland ented a very bad 'war period' and invasions of various powers destroyed the prominence of the city as well as the Jewish community. Not to mention what happened during the war.

This pic shows in what state the gravestones are. Broken. And covered in moss. I can't say it doesn't add the atmosphere to the place.]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:16:05 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia) Than Poland ented a very bad 'war period' and invasions of various powers destroyed the prominence of the city as well as the Jewish community. Not to mention what happened during the war.

This pic shows in what state the gravestones are. Broken. And covered in moss. I can't say it doesn't add the atmosphere to the place.]]> Laodamia http://www.fotothing.com/Laodamia/photo/d9dd092574cfbf4c4fb754d642a8ecd0/
Now we shall move to Kazimierz Dolny, a city on the Vistula river, set up by the king Casimir (Kazimierz) the Great somewhere in the 14th century. Jews were allowed to settle there and constitued a great part of the citizenry.
Than Poland ented a very bad 'war period' and invasions of various powers destroyed the prominence of the city as well as the Jewish community. Not to mention what happened during the war.

The old cemetery in Kazimierz Dolny. There is a school playground in this place now. The matzevot (gravestones) that were left are built into the stone wall around the football pitch, supposedly to remind the children where they are playing. Right. Even the cleaning lady who finally let us to the pitch did not know there was ANYTHING worth looking at in there.
Maybe it's because the fragments were of the size of big plates... and there were only 5 of them? How easy it is to forget the history.]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:16:05 +0000 nobody@fotothing.com (Laodamia) Than Poland ented a very bad 'war period' and invasions of various powers destroyed the prominence of the city as well as the Jewish community. Not to mention what happened during the war.

The old cemetery in Kazimierz Dolny. There is a school playground in this place now. The matzevot (gravestones) that were left are built into the stone wall around the football pitch, supposedly to remind the children where they are playing. Right. Even the cleaning lady who finally let us to the pitch did not know there was ANYTHING worth looking at in there.
Maybe it's because the fragments were of the size of big plates... and there were only 5 of them? How easy it is to forget the history.]]> Laodamia