History School Trip to Krakow

A WST tour to Krakow and Auschwitz will support the study of elements of the following exam board specifications.

National Curriculum KS3

• The Holocaust

AQA

GCSE

Paper 1: Understanding the modern world

• Section A - Period studies: Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorship

A level

• 2P Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918-1945

Edexcel

A level

• Paper 1 Option 1G: Germany and West Germany, 1918–89

OCR

GCSE A

• Non-British depth study: Germany 1925–1955: The People and the State

GCSE B

• World depth study: Living under Nazi Rule, 1933–1945

A level

• Non British Period Study: Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919–1963

SQA

National 5

• Part 4: Hitler and Nazi Germany, 1919–39

Higher

• European and world: Part D Germany 1815-1939

Advanced Higher

• Germany: from democracy to dictatorship, 1918–39

Eduqas

• Component 2: Period Study 2B. The Development of Germany, 1919-1993

Auschwitz-Birkenau

An integral chapter in the story of the Holocaust, Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest of the extermination camps in Poland and is the only remaining structure of this type.

Guided tour: A 3½ hour guided visit with an official Auschwitz guide is essential for school groups. A maximum of 30 visitors is allocated to a guide, so if you have more than 30 in your group you will be split into 2 groups. Your guide will allow approx. 90 minutes at the Auschwitz I site, and then you will transfer on your coach (5 minute drive) to Auschwitz II-Birkenau for a further 90 minute tour. 

Galicia Museum

The Galicia Jewish Museum exists to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and to celebrate the Jewish culture of Polish Galicia, presenting Jewish history from a new perspective. This museum is a great centre for Holocaust and Jewish studies and offers a number of services. Those most suited to GCSE and A Level students are: 

Traces of Memory permanent exhibition

The exhibition pieces together a picture of the relics of Jewish life and culture in Polish Galicia that can still be seen today, interpreting these traces in a manner which is informative, accessible, and thought-provoking. Your group will be guided round the exhibition by a specialist guide from the museum. 

Meet a Concentration Camp Survivor or Member of the Righteous Among the Nations

The Galicia Museum offers a unique opportunity for students to meet and engage with somebody who experienced the Holocaust first hand and to fully understand what life was like at this time. We highly recommend this experience to you. Not only will this unique chance to experience ‘living history’ enable your students to empathise further with their subject, it is quite simply something you will remember forever.

Specialist workshops

The Galicia Museum offers half day workshops based on a range of topics to support study of Jewish culture, tradition and the Holocaust. Workshops are led by qualified, experienced educators from the Museum’s Education Department.

Guided Walking Tour of Krakow

A half day walking tour is an essential part of your itinerary. Krakow is such a compact city which allows you to cover a lot of important sites and locations within the walking tour. Our walking tours are all led by guides from the Galicia Museum who are Graduates of Holocaust and/or Jewish Studies. This means that you won’t just get the regular script from a local city guide. You’ll get an in depth expert insight into the reality of Jewish life before and during the Holocaust. The tour will generally focus on:

Kazimierz

This former Jewish district was once the hub of Jewish life in Krakow. Your guide will give you an insight into where the community lived, worked and worshipped prior to the occupation. Sites to visit are Synagogues including the Remu’h Synagogue, cemeteries and market squares. 

Podgorze

The Wartime Ghetto. The Jewish population in Krakow was moved into this small area in March 1941. For many Polish Jews this ghetto was the last stop before the death camps. 

Schindler Factory and Museum

The old enamelware factory, made famous by the film Schindler’s List, is located in Podgorze. You can view this from the outside as part of your guided tour, or go inside to view the brand new exhibition covering the story of the Jews in Nazi occupied Krakow. 

Krakow Old Town

Krakow Old Town is a centre for medieval heritage. A guided tour of the Old Town including the iconic Wawel Hill with the Castle and Cathedral and finishing in the Old Town Square, will take you from 11^th Century right up to the present day. The Square is surrounded by restaurants, high street shops and smaller souvenir shops. Combined with the street entertainers, there are lots to keep you busy. 

Wieliczka Salt Mines  

One of Poland’s most visited tourist sites, students can take a guided tour through this fascinating underground city to see centuries of history and tradition. The salt mines are a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Pink Bowling

Ideal if you want to keep your students entertained in the evening.

Park Wodny Water Park

This is Poland’s biggest indoor pool, with slides, wave pools, rapids, climbing walls, fountains and also a snack bar.

Galeria Krakowska

This is a huge indoor shopping centre located next to the main train station, just a short walk from the Old Town Square. 

Galeria Kazimierz

A modern indoor shopping centre located on the outskirts of the Kazimierz District. You’ll find lots of high street stores, well known brands and a great range of eateries to choose from.

RESTAURANTS

Why not make a night of it and book your evening meal in a traditional restaurant? We can arrange for your students to have dinner in a traditional Jewish restaurant or have a traditional Polish meal with a folklore show. We can also book restaurant meals with a more international menu around the Old Town Square.