W tym miejscu | In This Place

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, obejmująca poobozowy obszar z największym zagęszczeniem lokali handlowo-gastronomiczno-usługowych: restauracją McDonald's czy marketem spożywczym Globi.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, encompassing a former camp area now densely populated with modern commercial, dining, and service establishments, including a McDonald's restaurant and a Globi grocery store.

Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca jednego z z tzw. stawów płaszowskich, zbiorników wodnych zlokalizowanych na terenie dzielnicy, obecnych tu w czasie operowania KL Plaszow oraz po wojnie.

FIREFIGHTING WATER RESERVOIRS 1 [A statement from a resident regarding one of the so-called Płaszów ponds—firefighting water reservoirs that were dug as a requirement of a German insurance company. These reservoirs secured the interests of the KL Plaszow camp administrators and constituted one of the most grueling forms of forced labor for prisoners, marked by high mortality rates.] Resident: “I once experienced a great shock because, from the tram, you could see two Płaszów ponds, which were somewhere around where today's Shell gas station and McDonald's are located. These ponds were overgrown with reeds, and in the early 1970s, fishermen started appearing there. I remember people being shocked, saying, ‘How can they fish there? There could be human remains in the water!’ For me, it was traumatizing—how could they eat those fish, knowing that the fish might have fed on human remains? That’s how I found out there had been a camp there because I asked my parents what it was all about.”

Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca jednego z z tzw. stawów płaszowskich, zbiorników wodnych zlokalizowanych na terenie dzielnicy, obecnych tu w czasie operowania KL Plaszow oraz po wojnie.

FIREFIGHTING WATER RESERVOIRS 2 [A statement from a resident regarding one of the so-called Płaszów ponds—firefighting water reservoirs that were dug as a requirement of a German insurance company. These reservoirs secured the interests of the KL Plaszow camp administrators and constituted one of the most grueling forms of forced labor for prisoners, marked by high mortality rates.] Resident: “And he was telling me that he and his friends used to play by those ponds… They would run around there. I asked him if there might have been ashes and so on… He said yes, it was very possible because, as children, they would find various bone fragments there.”

Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca jednego z z tzw. stawów płaszowskich, zbiorników wodnych zlokalizowanych na terenie dzielnicy, obecnych tu w czasie operowania KL Plaszow oraz po wojnie.

FIREFIGHTING WATER RESERVOIRS 3 [A statement from a resident regarding one of the so-called Płaszów ponds—firefighting water reservoirs that were dug as a requirement of a German insurance company. These reservoirs secured the interests of the KL Plaszow camp administrators and constituted one of the most grueling forms of forced labor for prisoners, marked by high mortality rates.] Resident: “The Germans likely dug mass graves and burned the remains because the older people around here used to say they could smell this… choking smoke. And they probably scattered the ashes in those ponds as well.”

Fragment eseju Martina Pollacka "Skażone krajobrazy", przeł. Karolina Niedenthal, Wydawnictwo Czarne, Wołowiec 2014.

[Excerpt from Martin Pollack's Tainted Landscapes] “Water bodies – rivers, lakes, even ponds – with their natural properties, seem to be made for removing compromising traces. There's no need to dig pits and then fill them back in, no need to plant anything, green things, or reforest. Water itself washes away all traces, without human involvement. It covers everything. Does it help or betray? That is the question. Water can also be an accomplice, just like the landscape. Above all, it remains silent, like a grave, keeping secrets, caring for the anonymity of the victims, more reliable than the earth. However, when waves sometimes wash bones ashore, polished and shiny, searching for the remaining remains is most often a hopeless endeavor.”

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, obejmująca poobozowy obszar z dużym zagęszczeniem współczesnych lokali handlowo-gastronomiczno-usługowych, w tym wielkopowierzchniowym sklepem spożywczym Lidl.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, encompassing a former camp area now densely populated with modern commercial, dining, and service establishments, including a large Lidl grocery store.

Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca historycznych fundamentów jednego z bloków powstałych przy ul. Jerozolimskiej.

FOUNDATIONS [A statement from a resident regarding the historical foundations of one of the apartment buildings on Jerozolimska Street.] Resident: “It was also shocking because—I don’t know if you know—but one of the apartment buildings doesn’t have modern foundations at all. It was built on the foundations of a block where the SS officers used to live. It’s the colorful building on Jerozolimska Street.”

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, obejmująca obszar bezpośrednio sąsiadujący z tzw. Czerwonym Domem, czyli willą komendanta obozu KL Plaszow.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, encompassing a former camp area close to the so-called Red House, the villa of the KL Plaszow commandant.

Wypowiedź Potomkini dotycząca poobozowych terenów zielonych, zakotwiczona w bezpośrednim sąsiedztwie tzw. Czerwonego Domu, czyli willi komendanta KL Plaszow. Potomkini: „[…] trzeba iść naprzód ze zrozumieniem, szacunkiem i zdrowym rozsądkiem. To nie może być po prostu ruch do przodu i mówienie: ‘To koniec, dobrze? To już skończone, a to miejsce jest teraz parkiem, więc przynieśmy nasze butelki piwa i bawmy się tutaj’ – to nie jest dobre. Ale myślę, że wciąż można by zostawić trochę zielonej przestrzeni”.

GREEN SPACES [A statement from a descendant regarding the post-camp green areas, anchored near the Red House, the villa of the KL Plaszow commandant.]

Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca wiejskiej zabudowy obecnej w okolicach dzisiejszego skrzyżowania ulic Wielickiej i Dworcowej.

HOUSES [A statement from a resident regarding the rural buildings in the area of today's intersection of Wielicka and Dworcowa streets.] Resident: “I still remember the old houses, those typical rural houses along Wielicka Street, back when they decided to expand the street. Before that, the area was nice because, leaving our neighborhood, you could take a long walk through the greenery; you could walk for several kilometers—through meadows, greenery, and so on. The same in the other direction.”

Ambientowa kompozycja dźwiękowa Marcina Dymitera, obejmująca poobozowy obszar z dzisiejszymi ulicami Wielicką, Heltmana i Abrahama.

An ambient sound composition by Marcin Dymiter, encompassing the post-camp area with today’s streets of Wielicka, Heltmana, and Abrahama.

Ambientowa kompozycja dźwiękowa Marcina Dymitra obejmująca obszar dzisiejszej ulicy Jerozolimskiej.

An ambient sound composition by Marcin Dymiter, encompassing the area of today's Jerozolimska Street.

Wypowiedź decydenta dotycząca znajomości historycznych granic obozu i jego poszczególnych obszarów, zakotwiczona w pobliżu ulic Jerozolimskiej i Abrahama.

BORDER [A statement from a decision-maker regarding the knowledge of the historical borders of the camp and its various areas, anchored near the streets of Jerozolimska and Abraham.] Decision-maker: “The fact that we know... where the ashes were scattered doesn't mean that the wind didn't 'spread' those ashes across the entire area.”

Wypowiedź badacza dotycząca "kłopotliwego dziedzictwa" terenu dawnego KL Plaszow, zakotwiczona w pobliżu ulicy Jerozolimskiej i kompleksu handlowego.

TROUBLESOME [A statement from a researcher regarding the “troublesome heritage” of the former KL Plaszow area, anchored near Jerozolimska Street and the commercial complex.] Researcher: “When I think about this place and so on, it doesn't give me peace. I think about describing it, for example, in terms like 'troublesome heritage'.”

Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca sposobów zagospodarowywania terenu po wojnie, zakotwiczona na obszarze sąsiadującym z ulicą Heltmana.

APPLE TREES, WALNUTS, HOUSES
[A statement from a resident regarding the post-war development of the area, anchored in the vicinity of Heltmana Street.] Resident: “Some of the single-family houses, which were on the so-called non-camp, administrative area–as the historical museum now divides it, right? – were evacuated. The house where Amon Göth lived was a building that was erected before the war. And there were a few other houses around that were also evacuated. Then these people returned to their homes, and here, you know, after the war, there was a lot of knowledge, so there were those card periods, and I know it from the stories of these people, from their grandparents and so on, that they tried to make do. For example, all those apple trees that are planted, which I mentioned, were planted by the residents; there are also walnut trees on that land. People had garden beds near their houses, or even above their houses, and raised rabbits. As for some curiosities, on Wola Duchacka, on my side already – Kamieńskiego Street – there were farms where cows were raised, and people also remember that when they were children, those cows grazed on the land of KL Plaszow, because on Wola, the grass was already dry, and they were driven there.”

[Wypowiedź mieszkanki dotycząca wycinek drzew, zakotwiczona w pobliżu ul. Jerozolimskiej.] „Niestety już wiem, po wycinkach drzew, które nastąpiły już do tego czasu, jakieś pół roku temu, i pewnie nie są to ostatnie wycinki drzew, które będą zrealizowane… No, nad tym bardzo ubolewam”.

FELLING [A statement from a resident regarding tree felling, anchored near Jerozolimska Street.] Resident: “Unfortunately, I already know, after the tree felling that has taken place up until now, about six months ago, and these are probably not the last tree cuttings that will be carried out... Well, I really regret that.”

Wypowiedź Potomkini osób pochowanych na przedwojennym cmentarzu żydowskim, który włączono w obszar KL Plaszow, dotycząca spotkania z wiewiórką, zakotwiczona w pobliżu fragmentu ulicy Heltmana.

SQUIRREL
[A statement from a descendant of individuals buried in the pre-war Jewish cemetery, which was incorporated into the KL Plaszow area, regarding an encounter with a squirrel, anchored near a section of Heltmana Street.] Descendant: “I must say that I had quite an extraordinary experience there two years ago when I had my little son, who was very small—he's not so little now, but back then, he was tiny, only two months old. I went for a walk in Płaszów, which was a medicinal plant walk, if I may say so—‘Healing Plants of Płaszów’. I went on this walk, and there came a moment when my son got hungry; he was so small, only two months old, and it was a heatwave, it was August. I had to stop to feed him. So, I sat under a Płaszów shrub, and the tour group continued, while my son and I stayed there, and he drank his milk. I had such a deeply moving experience there. First of all, it was an experience very close to nature, because we were in a very intimate situation—breastfeeding is quite intimate—and I was enjoying that. At one point, a tiny squirrel came up to us and sat right next to us. It was such an incredibly touching experience, and it stayed with me for a long time, somehow working through me. And I had this sense that the nature there now is so wonderfully alive in contrast to the history.”

Wypowiedź Przewodniczki dotycząca wielokulturowego dziedzictwa dzielnicy, zakotwiczona przy ul. Siemomysła.

ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE AREA
[A statement from a guide regarding the multicultural heritage of the district, anchored near Siemomysła Street.] Guide: “This area—it's incredible—is a typical palimpsest. If you delve deeper into its deepest historical layers, and considering that there are Krzemionki, the Krakus Mound [...], and so on, it's also a paradise for archaeologists in the context of the Slavs. What's more, the Germans knew about this too. [...] There are very important archaeological sites of Slavic culture and ancient Kraków. [...] We won't measure it with a ruler, but let's agree that within a few meters, we have the Krakus Mound—a unique and important place for Kraków. What I'm getting at is: here we have [streets] Abrahama and Jerozolimska, and here we have Siemomysła, Stoigniewa, and Lecha. [...] This place is exceptional in this section. We have the Krakus Mound, we have the former camp area, and we have very valuable archaeological traces of Slavic settlements in one place.”

Wypowiedź Mieszkanki dotycząca możliwych sposobów okazywania szacunku miejscu i jego ofiarom.

MORE RESPECT [Statement of a resident regarding possible ways of showing respect to the place and its victims.] We can show more respect to the place and the people who died there by being there as living, normal people, functioning normally, than by building a concrete monument of remembrance.

Wypowiedź Decydenta poświęcona niechęci do zmiany miejsca zamieszkania, zakotwiczona w okolicy ul. Wielickiej.

APARTMENT [A statement from a decision-maker regarding the reluctance to change their place of residence, anchored near Wielicka Street.] “I’ve never thought about moving out of here.”

Wypowiedź Decydenta dotycząca prac ogrodniczych, zakotwiczona w pobliżu ul. Jerozolimskiej, przy tablicy informacyjnej poświęconej KL Plaszow.

GARDENING WORK [A statement from a decision-maker about gardening work, anchored near Jerozolimska Street, by a commemorative plaque dedicated to KL Plaszow.] “But I am also a trained gardener, so nature has always been close to me, and generally speaking, working in the garden, or what we would call physical work, such as cultivation or mowing – is close to me, and for me, it’s also a relaxing element from everyday life.”

Wypowiedź Mieszkanki dotycząca troski mieszkańców o zieleń znajdującą się na poobzoowym obszarze, zakotwiczona w okolicy ul. Jerozolimskiej.

MAINTENANCE WORK [A statement from a resident regarding the care of the greenery in the post-camp area, anchored near Jerozolimska Street.] “All the maintenance work so far, like planting flowers, trimming shrubs, plantings, and so on, has been done by the residents.”

Wypowiedź decydenta dotycząca innych form upamiętniania, zakotwiczona w okolicy Czerwonego Domu, czyli willi komendanta KL Plaszow.

OTHER FORMS [A statement from a decision-maker regarding other forms of commemoration, anchored near the so-called Red House, the commander’s villa at KL Plaszow.]

“Some other forms of commemoration.”

A statement of a descendant on the proximity of the former KL Plaszow area to the Cracow city center.

BLISKO KRAKOWA [Wypowiedź Potomkini dotycząca bliskości terenu dawnego KL Plaszow względem centrum miasta.]

Trudno jest stąpać po ziemi, w której… pod którą jest wielu, wielu zmarłych. Ale nie to mnie przeraziło. [...] Najbardziej przerażające nie było dla mnie wchodzenie po schodach, ku pomnikowi, ani stanie na tej ziemi. To była jej bliskość względem Krakowa.

Wypowiedź Decydenta dotycząca współczesnego znaczenia terenu byłego KL Plaszow.

LITMUS TEST [Statement of a decision-maker regarding the contemporary significance of the former KL Plaszow site.] “Plaszow is largely [...] like a litmus test that describes certain changes, meaning whether and how open we are to discussing difficult topics. How much are we willing to give up our daily small comforts to do something not for ourselves, but for others? For those others, whom we may no longer have with us today.”

[Dialog dwóch romskich badaczek na temat obecności osób romskich w KL Plaszow.]

DIALOGUE [A dialogue of Roma researchers about Roma in KL Plaszow.] - I never thought about the fact that Roma people might have been there, in that camp. I never focused on that. - Mhm. And then, somewhere along our professional journey, we started getting interested in the topic of the Roma, the history of the Roma, and it’s impossible, when dealing with Roma, not to touch on the period of World War II, the genocide of the Roma, and so on. But the direct contact with Płaszów came when we started collaborating with Krystyna Gil, and we heard from her during an interview that she had spent some time in the Plaszow camp with her grandmother. And you started exploring this topic more, right, in relation to your research. - We know that there were Roma in the KL Plaszow. We don’t know how many; we haven’t researched that thoroughly. But we know that such people were there because we have at least three testimonies.

[Wypowiedź Decydenta dotycząca pamięci o KL Plaszow.]

NO COMMEMORATION [Statement of a decision-maker regarding the memory of KL Plaszow.] “There was no commemoration of this space, because of course, the monuments that are still there from the late 1960s, whatever they are and whatever they say, they were still there. So it’s not that Plaszow didn’t exist because it was neglected – Plaszow didn’t exist because we collectively chose… we decided that it could not be [present in memory]. That’s what I think. This probably only began to change somewhere in the 1990s, at the beginning of the 21st century, that’s what I think.”

NO COMMEMORATION [Statement of a decision-maker regarding the memory of KL Plaszow.] “There was no commemoration of this space, because of course, the monuments that are still there from the late 1960s, whatever they are and whatever they say, they were still there. So it’s not that Plaszow didn’t exist because it was neglected – Plaszow didn’t exist because we collectively chose… we decided that it could not be [present in memory]. That’s what I think. This probably only began to change somewhere in the 1990s, at the beginning of the 21st century, that’s what I think.”

Wypowiedź Przedstawiciela społeczności żydowskiej dotycząca braku wzajemnego zrozumienia.

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING [Statement of a representative of the Jewish community regarding the lack of mutual understanding.]

“There is no understanding of many contexts of this area – that’s absent. Some don’t understand the historical layer, others don’t understand Jewish traditions, and others still don’t understand the people who live there. There is a lot of misunderstanding, and you can feel that misunderstanding. Because if there were understanding, there would be a solution that we would see on the ground. Instead, people have to imagine everything themselves or follow something that no one explained beforehand. So, it’s a lack of understanding.”

Wypowiedź Przedstawiciela społeczności żydowskiej dotycząca możliwych sposobów opowiadania o tym terenie.

HOW TO TELL THE STORY [Statement of a representative of the Jewish community regarding possible ways of telling the story of this area.] “Maybe here we should tell the story of all these different layers, delve into the history and past of this place, and the present as well.”

Wymiana zdań przedstawicieli społeczności żydowskiej na temat rozmowy jako żywego pomnika.

CONVERSATION [Conversation between representatives of the Jewish community about conversation as a living monument.] “Maybe here we should tell the story of all these different layers, delve into the history and past of this place, and the present as well.” “I started to think, that would be great.” “Well, the present layer is also interesting…” “Exactly.” “... because we’re constantly talking about it, something is always happening.” “And that’s what you’re saying, this living monument is generated a bit through the discussion about it, the conversation…” “Absolutely. Then it’s not a “dead stone.” That’s the most important thing for me. Sometimes it’s difficult, sometimes you need partners for this living stone, and you have to treat people as equals – then everything can be worked on.”

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, zlokalizowana w południowej części dawnego KL Plaszow.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, located in the southern part of the former KL Plaszow.

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, zlokalizowana w południowo-zachodniej części dawnego obozu.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, located in the southwestern part of the former camp.

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, zlokalizowana w pobliżu Szańca FS-22, będącego częścią umocnień zbudowanej przez Austriaków Twierdzy Kraków i powstałego w latach 1855–1856.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, located near the FS-22 redoubt, which was part of the fortifications built by the Austrians as part of the Krakow Fortress, and was constructed between 1855 and 1856.

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, znajdująca się w południowo-wschodniej części dawnego obozu.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, located in the southeastern part of the former camp.

[Lista roślin, które rosły w tym miejscu.]

PLANTS [The list of plants that grew in this area.]

Pine, birch, willow, plantain, hops, Verbascum, St. John's wort, celandine, hawthorn, maple, lime, yarrow, marsh trefoil, mint, nettle, black nightshade, goutweed, bedstraw, sorrel, meadowsweet, viper's bugloss, yarrow, mirabelle plum, sycamore, ash, elder, sage, sedges, giant horsetail, cornflower, common milkweed, hazel, sea buckthorn, bulrush, violet, buttercup, lily of the valley, bellflower, common hazel, pedunculate oak, aspen, silver acacia, wild garlic, chamomile, goldenrod, dandelion, thyme, mint.

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera, zakotwiczona przy ulicy Swoszowickiej i częściowo przy ulicy Abrahama.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, encompassing parts of Swoszowicka and Abrahama Street.

Fragmenty książki Robin Wall Kimmerer, Pieśń Ziemi. Rdzenna mądrość, wiedza naukowa i lekcje płynące z natury, przeł. Monika Bukowska, Znak Literanova, Kraków 2020.

NON-HUMAN HISTORY [Excerpts from the book Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2013.] The ground is uneven, hiding pits, remnants of foundations, and post-war water pipeline excavations. For 80 years, a forest has grown in this place, herbs and berries have sprouted, and the earth has been covered with moss and grass. However, before that happened, for several years, almost nothing grew here. All the seeds were trampled into the ground by hundreds of feet. The constant human movement prevented the growth of non-human beings. The grass turned to mud, the landscape was leveled, crisscrossed with roads, avenues, and stone paths. When human movement ceased, a barren, scarred space was revealed. Yet on the leveled terrain, everything changes: suddenly, the sun appears. [...] Forest ecosystems have tools for dealing with massive disturbance, evolved from a history of blowdown, landslide, and fire. The early successional plant species arrive immediately and get to work on damage control. These plants—known as opportunistic, or pioneer, species—have adaptations that allow them to thrive after disturbance. Because resources like light and space are plentiful, they grow quickly. A patch of bare ground around here can disappear in a few weeks. Their goal is to grow and reproduce as fast as possible, so they don’t bother themselves with making trunks but rather madly invest in leaves, leaves, and more leaves borne on the flimsiest of stems.

[Porównanie słownictwa używanego obecnie w stosunku do roślin ze słownictwem eugenicznym z początków XX w.]

WORTHLESS [Comparison of contemporary vocabulary used for plants with eugenic vocabulary from the early 20th century.]

Worthless – remove – limit – self-seeding plants – bushes – weeds – dirt – land clearing – inventory – supervision – cutting – maintenance – growth control – useless – eradicate – limit – weeds.

[Zmodyfikowane odgłosy lasu.]

THE FOREST [Modified sounds of the forest.]

[Fragment książki Michaela Mardera, Myślenie roślin. Filozofia wegetacji, przeł. Łukasz Kraj, słowo/obraz terytoria, Gdańsk 2024.]

THE LIFE OF PLANTS [Excerpts from Michael Marder’s Plant-Thinking: A Philosophy of Vegetal Life. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013]

“Vegetal life enlivens plants, as well as, in different ways, animals and human beings; the common life at its barest, it is in equal measure an end-in-itself and a source of vitality for us. An offense against vegetal life harms both the plants we destroy and something of the vegetal being in us. Besides annihilating the plants themselves, the highly aggressive extermination of the flora, which has currently put under the threat of extinction up to one-fifth of all plant species on the planet, impoverishes a vital element in what we call “the human.”

“Plant-thinking does not oppose the use of fruit, roots, and leaves for human nourishment; rather, what it objects to is the total and indiscriminate approach to plants as materials for human consumption within the deplorable framework of the commodified production of vegetal life. If one is to respect vegetal existence, one will facilitate, not restrict, the proliferation of its various ends, not to mention celebrate the lack thereof.”

[Fragment "Dzienników" Henry'ego Davida Thoreau w tłumaczeniu Ludomira Franczaka.] Wojna z dziką naturą, niszczenie przyrody, ujarzmianie gleby – to głęboki proces. Cywilizowany człowiek uważa sosnę za swojego wroga – ścina ją, karczuje i uprawia na niej pszenicę lub żyto.

[Excerpts from Henry David Thoreau's Journal] “It is a thorough process, this war with the wilderness—breaking nature, taming the soil, feeding it on oats. The civilized man regards the pine tree as his enemy. He will feel it and let it in the light, grub it up and raise wheat or rye there. It is no better than a fungus to him” 2 February 1852

Fragment książki Martina Pollacka, Skażone krajobrazy, przeł. Karolina Niedenthal, Wydawnictwo Czarne, Wołowiec 2014.

[Excerpt from Martin Pollack's Tainted Landscapes] "At least equally depressing are the photos of places and landscapes where, as we know or suspect, something terrible happened. What’s unsettling is that in these photographs, there’s nothing to indicate that those events took place. So if we look at them closely and carefully, there’s nothing there. We don’t see anything that could testify that this is a place of horror. The landscape we see is calm and friendly. Seemingly innocent. A forest, a patch of fallow land, a ditch overgrown with tall grass by a country road, a riverbank with willows and alders, a mountain ridge, my vegetable garden, my orchard—there’s nothing noteworthy here, no visible scars, no signs. Just the landscape. Most often completely unremarkable. Sometimes boring. Occasionally idyllic."

Ambientowa kompozycja Marcina Dymitera zlokalizowana w południowo-wschodniej części dawnego obozu.

An ambient composition by Marcin Dymiter, located in the southeastern part of the former camp.