The appearance of figurines representing Jews – neighbors, is dated by ethnographers to the 19th century. These figurines were hand-carved from wood and then painted. They typically depicted Jews in traditional attire, reading books, playing instruments, or engaging in trade. The mythologized and reduced representation of one-tenth of the Polish society at the time was not the only group shown in the imagination of folk artists – fairs and market stalls were often filled with figurines of Krakowiaks and Highlanders, representatives of various professions, each attributed with mystical meanings. Jews, as inseparable neighbors, appeared in iconography and folklore; beekeepers would place hives in the shape of bearded figures wearing yarmulkes, constructs symbolizing food, prosperity, and good fortune.
The Holocaust changed the Polish landscape, as well as its figurative representations. Jewish figurines began to timidly reappear in museum competitions, in Cepelia (a folk art cooperative), and at Kraków market stalls after World War II, in a completely different context, now marked by the stigma of loss. As a reflection of pre-war tradition, they returned permanently in the 1970s, influenced by competitions for traditional works made by former artisans or visual artists.
The figurine of a Jew holding a coin or a money pouch appeared in Poland in the 1990s in the commercial offerings of souvenir shops and market stalls, during a period of rapid transformation. It quickly became a symbol of prosperity and a good luck charm, permeating the souvenir industry and now being available in virtually all souvenir shops and at fairs in Kraków.
This type of mass-produced figurines and images also began to appear at Emaus—the traditional Easter fair held in Kraków.
With the emergence of the “Jew with a coin,” vendors offering traditional figurines of Jews at Emaus stalls began promoting them with slogans based on association—“a Jew for good luck.” In this way, a false belief developed in the public consciousness that the phenomenon of the “Jew with a coin” is an old Kraków tradition originating from Emaus.
Over time, wood was replaced by modeling clay, and authentic handicraft by mass production. Turned upside down every Saturday according to instructions—so that the money they magically attract would fall into the owner’s pocket—these post-transformation images of Jews with coins were supposed to bring prosperity.
Meanwhile, what is meant to bring luck to some reopens unhealed wounds for others and evokes painful associations with infamous antisemitic propaganda reinforcing the stereotype of greedy Jewish financiers.
Thus, the “Jew for Good Luck” fits within a broad spectrum of discriminatory attitudes, where the mockery, vilification, and caricature of the figure bear the hallmarks of anti-Semitism. In response to these controversial souvenirs, representatives of the artistic community, Members of the European Parliament, academics specializing in ethnology, sociology, history, and Jewish studies, urban activists, and Jews from Poland and around the world have written appeals. The phenomenon has been the subject of numerous academic publications, studies, conferences, as well as festivals and artistic interventions. A few years ago, the phenomenon was documented in an exhibition curated by Canadian researcher Erika Lehrer at the Kraków Ethnographic Museum. The city also received extensive correspondence from tourists who were outraged and disturbed by the presence of such items in a city that had suffered so much from the Holocaust and the loss of a significant portion of its population. Criticism also comes from prominent experts, including Joanna Tokarska-Bakir, press publications, and statements from the literary world and columnists.
The first roundtable meeting on this topic was organized in November 2020 by the Villa Decjusza, FestivALT Association, Jewish Association Czulent, and the Autonomia Foundation. The images of the “Jew with a coin” were also one of the key topics of discussion at the Kraków Multicultural Festival. The conclusions from these meetings and discussions are clear. The presence of such objects, as well as the inscriptions placed on market stalls, such as “Żydki” (“Little Jews”), “Żydki na szczęście” (“Jews for Good Luck”), and “Żydek za 5 zł” (“Jew for 5 PLN”), have decidedly negative social and cultural consequences and, as a result, harm the image of Kraków.
The next step involved consultations conducted by representatives of the city, cultural institutions, and civil society, as well as the organization of another roundtable meeting.
The meeting, organized by the Villa Decjusza Institute of Culture and the Kraków Mayor’s Representative for Culture, was attended by representatives of the Kraków City Council, the Departments of Culture and National Heritage, the Tourism Department, the Department of Social Communication, the Administrative Affairs Department, managers of municipal areas and roads, representatives of the academic, museum, congregation, and trade associations, craftsmen, museums (including the Museum of Kraków and the Ethnographic Museum), as well as representatives of the Jewish community.
At the meeting, a number of opinions were presented that clearly confirmed the antisemitic dimension of the “Jew with a coin” figurine. It was established that the presence of these figurines in souvenir shops and at markets is unequivocally perceived as evidence of a lack of reflection and sensitivity in the area of so-called “difficult heritage.” They are also compared by the Jewish diaspora from around the world and many researchers to other antisemitic phenomena, such as the burning of a Jewish effigy, the custom of beating Judas, or the presence of Jewish caricatures in far-right pamphlets and publications.
Participants in the Round Table declared that the city, which as a result of World War II lost nearly all of its Jewish residents, must take all possible steps to prevent the presence of this phenomenon in public spaces. The inappropriateness of this fact was emphasized due to the complexity of Polish-Jewish relations, as well as the cultural-social consequences and the city’s image and reputation. A commitment was made to undertake all necessary actions to counter this phenomenon through close cooperation among various units and departments of the City Hall, efforts in information, communication, and education for all parties involved, as well as social engagement in addressing the issue of difficult heritage.
Only through the collaboration of entrepreneurs, tourism organizations, guides, city representatives, educational institutions, cultural institutions, particularly museums, can the local community be sensitized to the consequences of irresponsibly offering antisemitic merchandise.
Additionally, it was emphasized that there is an urgent need to promote and support traditional craftsmanship among sellers, stall owners, and market organizers in a spirit of understanding the complexity of the phenomenon and the emotions it provokes. Owners of commercial infrastructure or event organizers responsible for stall rentals and the annual selection of exhibitors have the ability to make decisions about the merchandise they offer and its origin.
The participants of the meeting call for reflection on this issue and for taking all possible actions to bring about a positive change in the way people think and to raise awareness of the described phenomenon, ultimately leading to a change in our shared reality. This phenomenon is socially and culturally harmful, difficult to accept, and painful for some of our residents, as well as for a significant number of tourists visiting our city in search of the truth about the times of coexistence and, later, the extermination of their ancestors. A city that has experienced such a tremendous tragedy of the Holocaust, with the loss of a significant portion of its citizens at the hands of the Nazi occupiers, must be aware that certain items sold are seen through the lens of these tragic events.
Only cooperation and dialogue will allow for a change in attitudes and the removal from sale of both offensive figurines and unacceptable inscriptions or stall markings that are considered anti-Semitic elements with a clearly pejorative connotation.
The participants of the meeting agreed that events organized in public spaces serve as a showcase and are an element of our culture and tradition through which we are perceived not only by residents, but also by tourists and visitors, whose opinions influence the international image and potential—also tourism-related—of the City of Kraków.
Therefore, all participants committed to taking action within their respective areas of influence to raise awareness, prevent the development of the phenomenon, and eliminate from public space practices that are unacceptable in the context of a city with such a complex and difficult history.
Villa Decjusza, Kraków, April 22, 2021.
Signataries (in alphabetical orderj):
Dr. hab. Bogdan Achimescu – Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Director of the Doctoral School
Monika Bielak – Exhibition Designer
Barbara Bieniek – President of the Association of Professional City Guides in Kraków “Secession”
Izabela Biniek – Director of the Kraków Forum of Culture
Berenika Błaszak – Advisory Team for Jewish Heritage in Kraków
Izabela Błaszczyk – Director of the Kraków Festival Office
Krzysztof Cieciński – Polania Foundation, Kraków and Pojednanie Foundation, Kielce
Michał Czerski – Director of IMAGO Center for Folk Art Ltd.
Monika Chylaszek – Director of the Social Communication Department of the City of Kraków
Tomasz Daros – Chair of the Promotion and Tourism Committee of the Kraków City Council
Eugeniusz Duda – Retired Senior Curator, Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
Ignacy Dudkiewicz – Editorial team of Magazyn Kontakt
Jason Francisco – Emory University, Atlanta / FestivALT
Agnieszka Fryś – Józefa Antiques
Nina Gabryś – Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Kraków for Equality Policy
Dr. Edyta Gawron – Institute of Judaic Studies, Jagiellonian University
Anna Grabowska – Director of the Podgórze Cultural Center
Marcin Hanczakowski – Director of the Road Authority of the City of Kraków
Karolina Harazim – PR and Communications Specialist, FestivALT
Tadeusz Jakubowicz – Chairman of the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków
Dr. Małgorzata Jantos – Jagiellonian University, City Councilor of Kraków
Ewa Kamińska – Bużałek – President of the Board of the Łódź Women’s Trail Foundation
Elżbieta Kantor – Director of the Tourism Department, City of Kraków
Dominika Kasprowicz – Director of the Decjusz Villa Institute of Culture
Prof. Prof. Dr. Piotr Kempf – Director of the Municipal Greenery Board in Kraków
Janusz Kowalski – President of the Małopolska Chamber of Crafts and Entrepreneurship in Kraków
Aneta and Karol Kuberscy – Szalom Gallery
Tomasz Kuncewicz – Director, Jewish Center in Oświęcim
Anna Kurzejowska – Head of the Department, Department of Culture and National Heritage
Elżbieta Kusina – President of the Federation of Guide Associations
Piotr Kwapisiewicz – President of the Jewish Association Czulent, member of the Interdisciplinary Team for Cooperation in the Implementation of the “Open Kraków” Program, Advisory Team for Jewish Heritage in Kraków
Piotr Laskowski – Polish Chamber of Tourism, Małopolska Branch
Erica Lehrer – Professor, Concordia University, Montreal
Nora Lerner
Maria Lempart – Manager of the Zwierzyniec House, branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
Prof. Prof. Dr. Anna Makówka-Kwapisiewicz – Jewish Association Czulent
Adam Musiał – Educator on the history and culture of Jews, Translator
Jakub Niewiadomski – Editorial team of Magazyn Kontakt
Dr. Michał Niezabitowski – Director of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
Kazimierz Nowak – President of the Board of IMAGO Center for Folk Art Ltd.
Jakub Nowakowski – Director of the Galicia Jewish Museum
Izabela Olejnik – Board Member of the Łódź Women’s Trail Foundation
Małgorzata Oleszkiewicz – Senior Curator, Ethnographic Museum in Kraków
Robert Piaskowski – Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Kraków for Culture
Łucja Piekarska-Duraj – Assistant Professor, UNESCO Chair on Holocaust Education
Katarzyna Piszczkiewicz – Project Coordinator, Ethnographic Museum in Kraków
Tomasz Popiołek – Director of the Administrative Affairs Department, City of Kraków
Michael Rubenfeld – Co-Director of FestivALT
Magda Rubenfeld Koralewska – Co-Director of FestivALT, Advisory Team for Jewish Heritage in Kraków
Dr. Andrzej Siwek – National Heritage Institute, Head of the Regional Office in Kraków
Bogusław Sonik – Member of the Polish Parliament (Sejm)
Artur Wabik – Advisory Team for Jewish Heritage in Kraków
Joanna Wawrzyniak – Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Warsaw
Katarzyna Wysocka – Director of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, City of Kraków
Magdalena Zych – Curator, Ethnographic Museum in Kraków