CITY ROUND No. 4

The quarry as a movie plan

In 1993, Steven Spielberg chose Liban’s Quarry as a movie plan for “Schindler’s List” – awarded with seven Oscar statuettes, amongst others for the scenography. For the movie’s needs, at the bottom of the quarry barracks, guard posts, paths and fences were constructed. Behind the narrow-gauge railways shed, right next to the shelf’s edge, you can notice the commander’s villa’s foundations remains (which is actually located near the Heltman 22 St.). Scenes from the circular balcony with a view of the working prisoners of the Płaszów Work Camp were filmed here. The camp itself was located nearby, south of the Liban Quarry, its traces are still visible and it is worth visiting that place as well.

Mysterious red

One of the most distinctive episodes of “Schindler’s List” is the girl in a red coat crossing the Kraków ghetto during its liquidation – which means murdering its habitants or transporting them to the concentration camps. It is the only color in the black-and-white movie. Although she stands out, she is ignored by cruel units of the SS. However, she is noticed by a German enterpriser Oscar Schindler, who becomes inspired to save Jews from death – thanks to Schindler employing them in the Emalia Factory (today known as the department of the Historical Museum of Kraków, on Lipowa 4 St., where you can find out more about the movie’s history). What was supposed to symbolize the girl in the red coat? Brutality of a war, which did not omit even children? Childish defenseless facing the tragedy of these events? Hope for salvation? For the director, it was supposed to be a symbol of modern, high-ranked politicians’ ignorance in terms of the Holocaust. And what does it mean for you?

Kiln furnaces were functioning in conjunction with silos, where fuel was stored (coke). Crushed limestone was most probably delivered directly from the processing plant. These raw materials, arranged alternately in the furnace shaft, were burned to produce industrial lime.

"Trains by human force driven"

The only remaining traces of the transport roads in the quarry are visible at this level: fragments of the railway and the narrow-gauge railway shed (later transformed into car workshops). Furthermore, at the quarry, you can notice a railway bridge and traces of conveyor belts. Blueprints, drawings and film frames depicting transportation means of “trains by human force driven” remained though.

Danger!

Following the course of the railway, which was once running at a safe distance from the shelf’s edge, while today they are either hanging or collapsing to the bottom of the quarry, you can imagine the risk threatening those who are not careful enough. The quarry’s walls, not exploited for almost 40 years and exposed to natural forces (e.g. decay, rainfalls, freezing and thawing, overgrowing by trees), are eroding. Noticeable rockfalls cause the formation of cones and rubble heaps, or even accumulations of large boulders. That is why you must not get close to the walls or edges of the quarry, and be especially careful when approaching them.

Nightwatch

Liban’s Quarry is very diverse in terms of the natural environment. There are clearings, forestations, bushes and reservoirs. The availability of diverse spaces makes it a suitable place for bats: night bats, long-tailed bats, pipistrelle bats, scotomata bats and nocturnal bats. Amongst the most active and the largest ones is a greater noctule (Nyctalus noctula). All of the Polish bat species are subject to strict protection.

CITY ROUND No. 3

Fundamental elements of the technological line were kiln furnaces to lime firing. Over the years, they were evolving. In the Quarries and the First National Factory of Lime in Podgórze: LIBAN&EHRENPREIS, Rumford furnaces were used. The company recommended a construction and fertilizer lime product to its “Dear Customers”. Hoffman furnaces requiring a lot of workforce were functioning for a long time, despite them being uneconomical. As late as in 70s, they were replaced by the kiln furnaces, which can be admired until this very day in the Liban’s Quarry. The finished product (industrial lime) was transported from under the furnaces by a conveyor belt, landing in the tanks, and finally distributed to the customers.

Cultural heritage

In that part of the quarry, some of the “Schindler’s List” scenography can be found – a movie, where the quarry took the role of the “Płaszów” German Nazi Labor and Concentration Camp, which is actually located south of the quarry. A particular element of the scenography is a path paved with replicas of the Jewish tombstones, used by Nazis to build camp roads during World War II. The path is crossed by two lines of wooden poles serving as a barbed wire fence of the film camp. Right here, there are old foundations that are probably remains of one of the camp barracks.

Creeping inhabitants

At the Liban’s Quarry, there are five species of amphibians and two species of reptiles. Green areas are a place of living and reproduction of common grass snakes (Natrix natrix), as well as a site of wintering for common toads (Bufo bufo). The quarry serves as a feeding space and microhabitat of reproduction and hibernation for sand lizards (Lacerta agilis).

CITY ROUND No. 2

From manual labor...

In the past, mining works were performed using human hands and simple tools, such as wedges, crowbars and hammers. As a result of further improvements, limestone was exploited using explosives injected into the holes drilled in the quarry’s walls. Traces after different mining methods can still be observed at the walls. At the western part of the quarry, overburden (soil and rock masses lying above the deposit) has been located, which is currently overgrown by the forest covering its exposition.

...to industrialization

An important part of the technological line was a processing plant. Near the route, one can observe remains of the: crushing and sorting plant, ramps and silos. After the initial crushing, an extracted resource was transported to the sorting site, where limestone was divided into different granulations and distributed into silos, and then to the kiln furnaces. All waste was stored in the landfill located at the western side of the quarry, currently overgrown by trees.

Monumental forge

A building located under the eastern quarry’s wall is a forge constructed in ap. 1878 (then it was rebuilt and transformed into workshops), whose damaged construction does not allow entering inside. It was a place where tools used in the quarry were being prepared and repaired, e.g. cradle trolleys or rails. The forge possesses traits of a monument and is protected as an industrial heritage.

Ecological site

In 2022, an ecological site of 15 ha has been established in the area of the Liban’s Quarry. It stands out due to its extraordinary landscape and natural values. Next to the patches of xerothermic grassland, marshlands are a place where you can notice common toads (Bufo bufo), common frogs (Rana temporaria) and moor frogs (Rana arvalis). Be careful when standing in front of fire-bellied toads, common and great crested newts, sand lizards and grass snakes – they are completely defenseless against you.

Enclave for the dragonflies

Dragonflies are particularly fond of the Liban’s Quarry. Overall, 41 species of dragonflies have been inventoried here (from among 74 species existing in Poland). They are favored by floodwaters that periodically appear in the quarry area. Two species, that are present here, remain under species protection, they are the white-fronted darter (Leucorrhinia albifrons) and the large white-faced darter (Leucorrhinia pectoralis).

CITY ROUND No. 1

Liban’s Quarry is a site, where humans were working, suffering, and creating art, and a place left by its former owners, so nature could take a lead.

By crossing the railway viaduct you have entered the Liban’s Quarry area – just like the narrow-gauge railway, the “window of the world” to the site, crossed it in the past.

LIBAN&EHRENPREIS, KAMIENIOŁOMY I PIERWSZA KRAJOWA FABRYKA WAPNA (QUARRIES AND THE FIRST NATIONAL LIME FACTORY) enterprise was established in 1872 by Józef Liban and Max Ehrenpreis. Exploited limestone was used in the production of the construction lime and fertilizers, as well as construction rocks and road aggregates. The quarry was functioning in the structures of many enterprises: Liban&Ehrenprise, Quarries and the First National Lime Factory, Cracovian Lime Kilns and the Quarries Joint-Stock Company in Kraków, Cracovian Site of Lime Industry in Płaza. It was also known as the Limestone Mine "Kraków – Za Torem (Behind the Railway)” or Cement Plant “Nowa Huta”: Department of Lime Production “Behind the Railway”.

The most tragic time in the history of the quarry took place during World War II, when the Nazi occupiers took control of the site and transformed it into the Construction Service Penal Camp. The camp imprisoned up to 2000 prisoners, and many of them died.

The mining plant was operating until 1986, and the reason for its closure was a negative environmental impact, a lack of workers, and no geological documentation determining the quality of the extracted limestone. Some infrastructure has been removed then, such as processing plants, but most of the industrial heritage remains until today.

In 1993, Steven Spielberg filmed camp scenes for the “Schindler’s List” movie here. We can still find remains of the abandoned scenography in the area.

The quarry has become a valuable ecosystem, protected by its status as an ecological site due to the abundance of the unique flora and fauna.

Remember!

Important elements of the industrial, cinematographic and natural heritage have remained in the quarry. Try not to impact them negatively by your presence.

Statute for using the site:

1. A balance of animate and inanimate nature exists in the quarry. Do not take away what makes it so precious – an abundance of flora, fauna and ancient limestones.
2. Watch your feet! You can meet traveling inhabitants of the quarry – they deserve your care. Do not disturb the animals living here.
3. Sometimes it might be dangerous! Under the slumping slopes, and on the rusty artifacts of the industrial site. Do not come too close to the slope and do not climb the metal structures.
4. The quarry is very vulnerable! Scattered garbage is troublesome for its tenants, while campfires pose a threat of fire. Do not leave your garbage scattered around and do not start any campfires.
5. Respect the hard work of its caretakers! Making the quarry available to the public is an effect of many people’s work. Do not destroy the street furniture and small architecture.

CULTURAL AND NATURAL ROUTE IN LIBAN’S QUARRY

THE PROTOTYPE

You are standing on the prototype Cultural and Natural Route which has been established as a part of the RESTART project implemented at the AGH Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management in Kraków. On the city rounds located throughout the area, you can find information regarding the valuable resources of the quarry: its lime industry heritage, cinematography and nature. We are currently collecting materials, maps, photos and memories documenting the history of this unique place. Presented below description is the 2nd version of the one that can be found in the area, therefore it includes some additions.

We are open to any suggestions from your side which would help us to develop the route. Send them please at the following emails: restart.proj.eu@gmail.com or ostrega@agh.edu.pl

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

CONTACT US

restart.proj.eu@gmail.com