Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

History

Committee Chair

Robert Blobaum

Committee Member

Melissa Bingmann

Committee Member

Joshua Arthurs

Abstract

Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List drew international attention to the site of Płaszów, a former Nazi concentration camp in Poland near the city of Kraków. This increased attention on the site impacted the area, leading to an increase in film-tourism, shown both in organized tours and published guidebooks. The site and film also held a personal connection to two sets of individuals, the descendants of Nazi commandant Amon Goeth and Holocaust survivors, which often prompted them to return to the site and push for more interpretation. This thesis addresses the lasting impact of the film on the site and the site’s ongoing issues. While the landscape did have one large monument and a few smaller ones, interpretative panels to provide historical context to the site were not added until recently. This assessment of the film’s impact on the site will reveal how a neglected landscape became transformed into a major project for The Historical Museum of the City of Kraków. While this project is a welcome addition for a site that has been ignored, it is also lacking proper interpretation signage, clear rules for visitor behavior, and security.

Download

Share

COinS