Honoring Spielberg
Steven Spielberg, who filmed much of his Oscar-winning Schindler's List in the former Kraków ghetto, was recently awarded the city's prestigious 'Patron of Culture' award for his efforts to preserve the area.
The city cited his donation of $40,000 (zł.137,724) to maintain the former 'Pod Orłem' pharmacy, whose owner, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, put his life on the line to save ghetto Jews during Nazi occupation.
"We are trying now to revitalize old Jewish districts in Kraków where people lived before the war," Kraków city spokesman Filip Szatanik said. "This support from Mr Spielberg will help us to do this better." According to Szatanik, the award is one of the most prestigious the city confers.
Pankiewicz was the only non-Jew to remain in the Kraków ghetto throughout the entire Nazi occupation. He provided food and medicine to the local Jewish population, and helped some to escape. He describes his experiences in his book The Pharmacy in the Krakow Ghetto. Roman Polański, himself a survivor of the Kraków ghetto, has also contributed to the preservation of the pharmacy, which was converted into a museum in 1983. Kraków is also helping to build a museum in the factory where Oskar Schindler - the subject of Speileber's 1993 film - shielded more than a thousand Jews during the Holocaust.
For his contribution, Spielberg will be sent a bronze statue depicting Stańczyk, a court jester who was an advisor to King Zygmunt III in the 16th century. (Associated Press)
The city cited his donation of $40,000 (zł.137,724) to maintain the former 'Pod Orłem' pharmacy, whose owner, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, put his life on the line to save ghetto Jews during Nazi occupation.
"We are trying now to revitalize old Jewish districts in Kraków where people lived before the war," Kraków city spokesman Filip Szatanik said. "This support from Mr Spielberg will help us to do this better." According to Szatanik, the award is one of the most prestigious the city confers.
Pankiewicz was the only non-Jew to remain in the Kraków ghetto throughout the entire Nazi occupation. He provided food and medicine to the local Jewish population, and helped some to escape. He describes his experiences in his book The Pharmacy in the Krakow Ghetto. Roman Polański, himself a survivor of the Kraków ghetto, has also contributed to the preservation of the pharmacy, which was converted into a museum in 1983. Kraków is also helping to build a museum in the factory where Oskar Schindler - the subject of Speileber's 1993 film - shielded more than a thousand Jews during the Holocaust.
For his contribution, Spielberg will be sent a bronze statue depicting Stańczyk, a court jester who was an advisor to King Zygmunt III in the 16th century. (Associated Press)
