Context
The area of the former KL Plaszow German Nazi concentration camp in Krakow, founded on top of two Jewish cemeteries, remains today largely unmarked, while functioning primarily as a recreational site. Local residents often enjoy outdoor walks in this area, oftentimes with their dogs, although usually without full conscience of what was previously located there. Awareness of this history is minimal – even among the residents – and the city has continued to issue building permits on part of the site, so that what is actually commemorated today is only about half of the site.
The destroyed 18th century Jewish cemetery at ul. Gwarna (former Claassenstrasse) in Wrocław is an example of a place that disappeared from the map of the city after WWII. Located opposite the Main Railway Station, it is now part of a yard surrounded by blocks of flats. It remains a forgotten, hidden and neglected space, which was brought to attention by archaeological research in 2017 carried out as a result of the construction of a hotel in this area. The year 2000 Spatial Development Plan of the Wrocław City Council calls for the revitalization of the area and the creation of a memorial park, including the introduction of greenery but it has still not been implemented.
Challenges
- HOW to combine remembrance, commemorative practices and art in a participatory manner for sites marked by neglect, taboo, or social divisions?
- HOW to carry out commemorative practices through art at heritage sites marked by past violence in a way that is respectful for a variety of stakeholders and the natural environment, while allowing the artist the space for self-expression?
Highlights
- Marking and commemorating the boundaries of destroyed Jewish cemeteries in a public space of two major Polish cities for the first time in the post-war era in accordance with rules of the Jewish religious law
- Involving local residents in commemorative practices.
- Opening dialogue on possible ways of permanent commemoration and markings of the cemeteries
Description
In 2022, visual artist Anna Schapiro was invited by two activist organisations from Wrocław and Kraków to work with the sites of three destroyed Jewish cemeteries, one located in the city centre and two within the territory of a former German Nazi concentration camp.
In September 2022 in Wrocław, Schapiro used natural earth pigments to create the “Three Earths” artistic installation originally foreseen to last for seven months, temporarily marking in two places the still visible borders of the destroyed Jewish cemetery on Gwarna Street (former Classenstrasse). One appeared on the paved surface of Plac Konstytucji 3 Maja Square, and the other on an old wall that separates the yard of a current residential area from Gwarna Street. The work brought out the previous historic and topographic layers of the place and its transformation in time. The pigments showed the colourful spectrum that can be found within the earth – from yellows, greens, and reds to browns and more. Schapiro used a fresco technique that she intentionally exposed to natural and urban forces: rain, wind, interactions with pedestrians and others.
Anna Schapiro noted that the process differed greatly from the usual idea of setting a permanent monument with a call for projects. Instead, the artist, together with the activists, reflected on the neglected un-commemorated area and looked into innovative ways of addressing this situation.
The art project was accompanied by guided tours of the artworks led by Wrocław-based activists from the Urban Memory Foundation and city guides. The participants were able to not only experience and learn about the idea behind the artworks, but also to find out more about this part of Wrocław and the history of the destroyed Jewish cemetery in Gwarna Street.
You can find more information about “Three Earths” here.
Lessons Learnt
- Participatory and temporary artistic practice in the areas of remembrance can offer new perspectives to contemporary discussions on the role of memory, public space & local history, while asking important questions about the role of art and artistic expression in our daily life and societal issues
- In order to be respectful, the preparations need to involve a range of stakeholders from day one: residents, local authorities (incl. those in charge of heritage protection), descendants and affected communities, clearly explaining the goals, expectations, mutual doubts and fears as well as hopes
- Embedding artistic interventions in a broader context – for example with thematic conferences, seminars or discussions – allows the possibility to closely link the art practice with hands-on discussions & knowledge exchanges
- Breaking away from the usual commemorative practice (structured calls for proposals with specific requirements, creating new structures/monuments) in favour of a more open process can bring in valuable results and foster participation
- Taking the time and going slowly when carrying out the artistic process, especially a participative one, can bring in the aspect of community building and shared reflection
In October 2022 in Kraków, Anna Schapiro created another artistic installation, “Moving Earth”. The success of the project in Wrocław gave rise to the idea of realising a similar artwork on the much larger, open territory of the former German Nazi concentration camp of KL Plaszow, where two Jewish cemeteries are also located. The question of materials was already solved, but the artist decided to change the technique a bit – instead of mixing the pigments with a binder and actually painting over architectural elements, the pigments were to be thrown onto the ground in order to create a visual representation of the borders of the cemeteries.
Pigments used in Kraków also reflected the colour of local soil – deep orange. The artist felt that a different approach was needed compared with what had been done in Wrocław, as precise identification of the borders of the cemeteries was almost impossible to achieve. Together with the organisers, she opted for a participatory process, throwing the pigment together with numerous volunteers: local residents, activists, researchers, and members of the Jewish community.
In October 2022 in Kraków, Anna Schapiro created another artistic installation, “Moving Earth”. The success of the project in Wrocław gave rise to the idea of realising a similar artwork on the much larger, open territory of the former German Nazi concentration camp of KL Plaszow, where two Jewish cemeteries are also located. The question of materials was already solved, but the artist decided to change the technique a bit – instead of mixing the pigments with a binder and actually painting over architectural elements, the pigments were to be thrown onto the ground in order to create a visual representation of the borders of the cemeteries.
Pigments used in Kraków also reflected the colour of local soil – deep orange. The artist felt that a different approach was needed compared with what had been done in Wrocław, as precise identification of the borders of the cemeteries was almost impossible to achieve. Together with the organisers, she opted for a participatory process, throwing the pigment together with numerous volunteers: local residents, activists, researchers, and members of the Jewish community.
In order to ensure that the artistic intervention was carried out in a respectful and participatory manner, the artist and activists closely involved stakeholders including: the local residents, the Rabbinical Commission for Jewish Cemeteries in Poland, the Jewish Community in Kraków, and the KL Plaszow Museum as well as the office of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments.
“I was not The Artist, I was just one of many,
many people involved in the creation of the
work, and one of even more who made it
possible for me to be there and do what I was
doing. (…) An artistic work makes it easier
to open the door, to name what is unnamed,
mark what is left unmarked, to start the
discussion on a deeper, more open-minded
level.” – Anna Schapiro
As a result, cemeteries were marked in the public spaces for the first time after the war, what is more it was done with the cooperation of all parties involved in the ongoing conflict about the future shape of KL Plaszow commemoration. More details about the event can be found here.
Solutions
- Introducing a temporary marking strategy into a site that is lacking any definitive forms of commemoration that would be useful for understanding the site’s topography.
- Engaging local residents in the process of marking the site, which serves as an opportunity for them to learn and create a sense of shared ownership.
- Using commemorative artistic interventions improves the aesthetics of the public space without limiting its functionality and use by local residents.
Funding
Artistic interventions of Anna Schapiro in Wrocław and in Kraków were carried out as part of a joint project “Places of Remembering and Forgetting” (2021-2022) between NGOs from two Polish cities, Wrocław and Kraków (Urban Memory Foundation and FestivALT respectively). The project has been funded by Norway Grants from the Active Citizens – National Fund (EEA Grants) and further developed & supported by the NeDiPa project (funded by Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the EU in 2022-2024).
Further Information
To find out more about the artistic and participatory process of creation from the artist herself, read an interview with her under this link. You can also find more information about Anna Schapiro here. For further information about the artistic projects of Anna Schapiro in Wrocław and Kraków, do get in touch with Urban Memory Foundation and FestivALT.
Anna Schapiro is a Berlin-based Jewish visual artist. Her visual works move between sculpture and painting, oftentimes working with natural earth-based pigments. Anna is addressing, discussing, and challenging current social problems in many of her projects. Her works have been shown in Basel, Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Łódź, Lublin, New York, Porto, Stuttgart and in Wrocław. In the case studies from Poland, she was stepping into tense relationships between different stakeholders and decades-long history of neglect.