Sherlock's Genealogical Adventures

Follow Sherlock on his adventures into genealogical mysteries.

1 minute reading time (265 words)

Underneath Rynek in Kraków

Poland Traditions & Interest

Tim Firkowski

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

4316 Hits

1 Comment

In 2005 archealogists dug up the Rynek (Marketplace) in Kraków to learn what was underneath their feet. Everyone knew that
there was something under Rynek, but nobody knew what & finally permission was given to explore. I was there in 2004 & in 2006 & I never had known that it had been dug up and excavated by archealogists. What they found helped answer many questions, but also left them with many questions unanswered that still need to be explored.

They did learn that there were settlements there that were older than they thought. They discovered old tools, jewelry, coins, pottery and even remnants of log homes. One area they discovered showed evidence that a massive fire swept through the village, from the burnt logs that were left behind. You can walk along a glass floor walkway and view the remains of the old stone foundations. There is a model of Kraków that is underneath the fountain above in Rynek. This was such a wonderful find!

Most people who go to the marketplace are not aware of the rich history right below them. There is an entry to the underground museum in Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) if you are interested in seeing what was discovered. If you want to go, you will need to get your tickets ahead of time as there are a limited number of tickets available for various time slots. You can check when there are openings in real time from the sign outside. Since almost everyone visits Rynek in Kraków, I would HIGHLY recommend going to the underground museum. You will not be disappointed!

Tags:

History Museum Cloth Hall Sukiennice Travel Poland Kraków Rynek

About the author

Tim Firkowski

I have been doing genealogy research since 2002 & have worked full time as a Professional Genealogist since 2008. I specialize in Polish and American-Canadian Genealogy. As a member of APG, I was the 2010/2011 President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). I have Certificates of Completion for studies in "Foundations of Forensic Genealogy" and "Advanced Forensic Genealogy Techniques". I have been a volunteer librarian at the local Family History Center, and a genealogy research consultant at “Ask the Expert” Ancestry Road Shows. I have traveled to Poland numerous times & researched in churches and archives. At conferences and special events, you may find me dressed up in my Sherlock Holmes outfit, or my Kujawy (the folk costume from the region in Poland where my ancestors came from).

Author's recent posts

Comments 1

Guest - Judy Peters on Wednesday, 11 October 2017 11:53

Wow! This is amazing! I would love to visit it next time I am in Poland. It won't be for a few years though. Krakow has such rich history. My family is from a small Wies (village) called Gębiczyna near Dębica. It is about 2 hours east of Krakow.

I too am interested in genealogy. I actually found a person to translate and one to drive. We headed off in the direction of what I thought I may find some family. I took pictures and names of my relatives with some birth and death dates. The driver just kept stopping and asking directions. The people just pointed in a direction which we followed. Two hours later we came to a "town" with next to nothing in it. We stopped at the first house. We went to the door armed with information. Guess what?? They were my relatives!! They showed me the ground where my Dziadzia was born. The dirt floor house had since been torn down but you could still see the print of the outline of the small house. I was thrilled beyond belief! I did have to go back home to the states. I left some zloty (cash) and my name and address. I told them if they found other information to please send it on to me. Three months later I got a phone call from relatives I didn't know who lived in Canada. They put me in touch with another relative who is also interested in genealogy. I went back the next year. They ended up having a big party with all the relatives for me. I felt so honored! I belonged to Poland! With all the laughter and signs with the hands it was easy to know the feeling of the heart of my relatives. Since then we have been communicating by email using Google Translate...not the best but it gets the gist. By the way, I had asked my grandfather while he was living if he would ever want to go back. He said, "what for? There is nothing there!" There is still nothing there, but I didn't care...I put my feet on the very ground of my ancestors! I pointed my finger up to the skies and said, "Dziadzia you shouldn't have been so stubborn and spoke to me in Polish!". (He said he was in America and he should speak English! Well that is my story.

Thanks for posting the wonderful bit of information about a lost town under Krakow. Now I am really going to save my money to go back sooner!

0 Reply

I too am interested in genealogy. I actually found a person to translate and one to drive. We headed off in the direction of what I thought I may find some family. I took pictures and names of my relatives with some birth and death dates. The driver just kept stopping and asking directions. The people just pointed in a direction which we followed. Two hours later we came to a "town" with next to nothing in it. We stopped at the first house. We went to the door armed with information. Guess what?? They were my relatives!! They showed me the ground where my Dziadzia was born. The dirt floor house had since been torn down but you could still see the print of the outline of the small house. I was thrilled beyond belief! I did have to go back home to the states. I left some zloty (cash) and my name and address. I told them if they found other information to please send it on to me. Three months later I got a phone call from relatives I didn't know who lived in Canada. They put me in touch with another relative who is also interested in genealogy. I went back the next year. They ended up having a big party with all the relatives for me. I felt so honored! I belonged to Poland! With all the laughter and signs with the hands it was easy to know the feeling of the heart of my relatives. Since then we have been communicating by email using Google Translate...not the best but it gets the gist. By the way, I had asked my grandfather while he was living if he would ever want to go back. He said, "what for? There is nothing there!" There is still nothing there, but I didn't care...I put my feet on the very ground of my ancestors! I pointed my finger up to the skies and said, "Dziadzia you shouldn't have been so stubborn and spoke to me in Polish!". (He said he was in America and he should speak English! Well that is my story.

Thanks for posting the wonderful bit of information about a lost town under Krakow. Now I am really going to save my money to go back sooner!

Wow! This is amazing! I would love to visit it next time I am in Poland. It won't be for a few years though. Krakow has such rich history. My family is from a small Wies (village) called Gębiczyna near Dębica. It is about 2 hours east of Krakow. I too am interested in genealogy. I actually found a person to translate and one to drive. We headed off in the direction of what I thought I may find some family. I took pictures and names of my relatives with some birth and death dates. The driver just kept stopping and asking directions. The people just pointed in a direction which we followed. Two hours later we came to a "town" with next to nothing in it. We stopped at the first house. We went to the door armed with information. Guess what?? They were my relatives!! They showed me the ground where my Dziadzia was born. The dirt floor house had since been torn down but you could still see the print of the outline of the small house. I was thrilled beyond belief! I did have to go back home to the states. I left some zloty (cash) and my name and address. I told them if they found other information to please send it on to me. Three months later I got a phone call from relatives I didn't know who lived in Canada. They put me in touch with another relative who is also interested in genealogy. I went back the next year. They ended up having a big party with all the relatives for me. I felt so honored! I belonged to Poland! With all the laughter and signs with the hands it was easy to know the feeling of the heart of my relatives. Since then we have been communicating by email using Google Translate...not the best but it gets the gist. By the way, I had asked my grandfather while he was living if he would ever want to go back. He said, "what for? There is nothing there!" There is still nothing there, but I didn't care...I put my feet on the very ground of my ancestors! I pointed my finger up to the skies and said, "Dziadzia you shouldn't have been so stubborn and spoke to me in Polish!". (He said he was in America and he should speak English! Well that is my story. Thanks for posting the wonderful bit of information about a lost town under Krakow. Now I am really going to save my money to go back sooner!

Cancel Update Comment