"Memorial Album Dedicated to Abraham Bankier" (Hebrew), photograph album of the Remah Synagogue in Krakow. Dedicated to Abraham Bankier for his work in saving the Jews of Krakow during the Holocaust, by the synagogue's board of directors. Krakow, Iyar 1950. Photographs from ca. late 1940s.
Album with 16 photographs: * Eight photographs of the cemetery near the synagogue (the Remah Cemetery), a short time after the war, documenting the remains of graves and the beginning of restoration works. * Eight photographs of the synagogue and its wings, a short time after the war: commemorative plaque with dozens of lighted candles, the book room, view of the façade from the street, and more. An appeal from the synagogue board is mounted on the first two pages of the album, calling for donations to restore and revive the building.
On the front cover of the album is a dedicatory leaf in handwriting (Hebrew): "Memorial Album Dedicated to Abraham Bankier, from the board of the Remah Synagogue, Krakow, Iyar [1950]". Bankier (1910-1956), the close assistant of Oskar Schindler and the director of his factory, assisted him in saving the lives of 1,000 Jews.
The Remah Synagogue in Krakow ("The Small Synagogue") was founded in 1557 near the city's ancient cemetery. Miraculously, the synagogue survived the war, and a short time later it resumed its activities. The nearby cemetery, by contrast, was almost entirely destroyed by the Germans, and its restoration was lengthy.
Total of 16 photographs. Photograph size: 9X14 cm, album: 19X12 cm, bound with string. Good condition. Light scrapes to some of the photographs. Creases to album cover. Stamp on front cover.