Heroes' Square

Ghetto Heroes Square, the empty chairs memorial in Cracow

On this large square in Podgórze, dozens of empty bronze chairs stand in the open air and intrigue at first glance. This is Ghetto Heroes Square, a powerful memorial dedicated to the victims of Cracow's Jewish ghetto. The Cracow audio-guided tour stops here with gravity, to evoke one of the darkest pages of the city's history.

From Plac Zgody to a memorial site

Once a pleasant market square, known as Plac Zgody from 1930 to 1948, it became, from 1941, the heart of the Jewish ghetto established by the Nazi occupier and the gathering point for deportations. Today, a memorial of empty bronze chairs recalls the tens of thousands of Jews who perished. Each chair evokes a life torn away, in a plain and overwhelming arrangement.

What to see

The memorial, in the open air, can be walked freely and invites contemplation. The empty chairs, lined up on the square, strike by their symbolic force and their starkness. All around, the Podgórze district keeps other major memorial sites, such as the Pharmacy under the Eagle, which complete the understanding of this tragic history. It is an essential and moving stage of any visit to Cracow.

Practical information

Ghetto Heroes Square lies in the Podgórze district, south of the Vistula, in Cracow, reachable on foot and by tram. It is an open-air memorial, freely accessible at all times, to be walked with respect. Nearby, several memorial sites, such as the Pharmacy under the Eagle, have their own visiting hours, to be checked before coming.

What do the empty chairs of Ghetto Heroes Square symbolise?

They pay tribute to the tens of thousands of Jews of the Cracow ghetto who were victims of the deportations; each empty chair evokes a life lost.

Why was the square called Plac Zgody?

That was its name from 1930 to 1948, when it was a market square; under the occupation, it became the heart of the Jewish ghetto and a memorial site.