Page 158 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Krakow

156  KR AK OW AREA B Y AREA

of Krakow. The new monastery
was named Clara Tumba
(“Bright Tomb”, Jasna Mogiła,
in Polish) because of the
proximity of the reputed
burial place of the legendary
princess Wanda.
This Romanesque Cistercian
Church followed the strict
building regulations of the
Cistercian order. The chancel
ended with a flat perpen-
dicular wall, and pairs of
chapels with a square ground-
plan were added to the
transept. In 1447 the church
was destroyed by fire. Gothic
The Socialist Realist architecture of Nowa Huta forms were introduced during
its rebuilding. Stanisław
1Nowa Huta they were not the best allies Samostrzelnik decorated
of the Communists, and the the interior with murals in
@ 502. v 4, 10, 22.
town became notorious for the first half of the 16th
Krakow was widely considered anti-regime protest. century. These Renaissance
an anti-Communist town in The Nowa Huta Museum, paintings are complemented
the aftermath of World War II on a central alley known as the by 18th-century furnishings.
due to its patriotic, intellectual Alley of Roses (Aleja Róż) due The Baroque façade was
and clerical traditions. In order to its many blooms, hosts added by Franz Moser as
to change this, the Communists themed exhibitions on the late as 1779–80. Other wall
undertook a programme of new town’s history. Fascinating paintings in the church were
quick industrialization of the exhibitions about life during made by Jan Bukowski
Krakow region to increase the Communist period are in the early 20th century.
the working-class population. also held at the PRL Museum The Gothic cloister built in
In 1948 a contract was signed (Polish Peoples’ Republic, the time of Kazimierz the
between Poland and the Soviet Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa Great is the most beautiful
Union for a giant steelworks in Polish), which documents part of the abbey. It leads to
named after Lenin, which the history of the Marxist state the Chapter House, which
has since been renamed that officially existed from features murals painted in
Sendzimir. The construction 1952 to 1990. The museum is the 19th century by Michał
of a new town named Nowa housed in the former Światowid Stachowicz. These illustrate
Huta (New Steelworks) began cinema (Kino Światowid), an scenes from the life of
in 1949. It was designed by imposing example of Socialist- Wanda. Not far from
Tadeusz Ptaszycki in the Realist architecture. the abbey is the Church
Socialist Realist style. of St Bartholomew. Built in
The housing estate, Centre, E Nowa Huta Museum 1466, it is one of the oldest
built between 1949 and 1955, os. Słonecznie 16. Tel 425 97 75. timber churches in Poland.
is a bold exercise in urban Open Apr–Oct: 9:30am–5pm Tue–
planning. In this “model Sun; Nov–Mar: 9am–4pm Tue, Thu R Cistercian Church
Communist town” there was & Sat, 10am–5pm Wed. & free Klasztorna 11. Tel 12 644 23 31.
no room for churches. After on Wed. ∑ mhk.pl Open 6am–7pm daily.
years of campaigning by the E PRL Museum
people of Nowa Huta, however, os. Centrum E1. Tel 12 446 7821. 3Polish Aviation
the construction of churches Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. & free
finally began in the 1970s. on Tue. = ∑ mprl.pl Museum
Among these, the well-known Al. Jana Pawła II 39. @ 502.
Ark of God (see p39) is an v 4, 5, 9, 10, 52. Tel 12 640 99 60.
outstanding piece of modern 2Mogiła Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sun. & free
sacral Polish architecture. The 7 km (4 miles) east of Krakow. Tue. 8 ∑ muzeumlotnictwa.pl
Maximilian Kolbe Church in the @ 123, 153, 163. v 15.
Mistrzejowice district of Nowa This museum is located on the
Huta is another outstanding Mogiła village developed historic Rakowice-Czyżyny
modern church. During the around the Cistercian Abbey. airfield, one of the oldest
period of Martial Law (1981–3), The Cistercians were brought military airfields in Europe
the workers residing in Nowa to Poland in 1222, or 1225, (established in 1912) and the
Huta clearly demonstrated that by Iwo Odrowąż, the Bishop second largest in Poland prior