Plac ks. Jana Skarbka in Oświęcim

Plac ks. Jana Skarbka is a square in the Old Town of Oświęcim. Until 1992 it was called Plac Kościelny, and the present name was given in honour of Fr Jan Skarbek (1885-1951), a priest and chronicler, an honorary citizen of the town since 1934.

Buildings around the square

On the square stands the Chewra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue, built in 1928-1930 and the only surviving synagogue in the town. During the Second World War the occupiers set up an ammunition store in it. Since 2000 the synagogue has been part of the Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim. Next to it is the house of the Kornreich and Dattner families, in which four Jewish families lived before the war, and which today is the seat of the Center, with a permanent exhibition.

Other places

The Kluger House from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is associated with Szymon Kluger, the only survivor of his family, who returned here in the 1960s as the town's last Jewish resident. It houses a cafe and educational spaces. On the square there is a historic town well, discovered and restored in 2009. Nearby lies the Oświęcim Castle.

Practical information

• Location: the Old Town in Oświęcim, next to the Jewish Center.
• The visiting hours of the Center and the synagogue are given on its website.