Hundreds protest evictions from church-owned properties to develop hotel in historic Kraków district

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Hundreds of people have protested in Kraków’s Kazimierz district against plans to evict residents and businesses from a set of historic church-owned buildings in order to redevelop them into a luxury hotel.

The demonstration, outside the church where the order that owns the three tenement houses is based, was co-organised by local left-wing MP Daria Gosek-Popiołek and also attended by Kraków’s mayor, Aleksander Miszalski, who promised to take action.

Protesters displayed banners reading “No to gentrification” and “Kazimierz for locals”. They created mock death notices for the businesses being evicted, which include many of the shabby-chic bars, boutiques and galleries for which the district is known, such as Eszeweria, a pub that is an iconic part of Kazimierz’s thriving nightlife

Although often described as Kraków’s “Jewish quarter” in guidebooks, Kazimierz was for centuries home to both Christians and Jews. Along with several surviving synagogues, it also features large churches, one of which is home to the local branch of the Canons Regular of the Lateran, a Catholic order.

The order came into possession of the buildings in question, located on Józefa and Bożego Ciała streets, in 1883 under an agreement that prohibited them from selling or profiting from the properties, reports news website OKO.press.

In 2011, the order signed a 70-year lease agreement for the buildings with De Silva Haus, a property developer that also runs a chain of hotels across Poland.

Late last year, the company notified residents and businesses that they must vacate their properties by the end of March, citing the buildings’ poor condition. The firm now plans to develop a hotel and conference centre there

De Silva Haus is offering subsidies and help with finding alternative accommodation to tenants, reports local newspaper Gazeta Krakowska. However, many of them, who in some cases have resided there for decades, say the support is not enough.

Meanwhile, Gosek-Popiołek, an MP representing The Left (Lewica), which is part of Poland’s nationally ruling coalition, accuses the religious order of violating its agreement not to profit from the properties.

She criticised the “soulless destruction of the fabric of Kazimierz in the name of pure profit”, telling news website Krknews that it was “a betrayal of the trust of people who for years believed that their existence is secure under the protection of the church”.

The politicians conceded that the buildings are in a “terrible condition” but blamed the owners. “For years they didn’t take care of these tenement houses – no doubt counting on being able to ‘get rid’ of the tenants more quickly,” she told Gazeta Krakowska.

A petition calling for the protection of residents, businesses and the area’s cultural heritage has been signed by more than 28,000 people.

Kraków’s mayor, Aleksander Miszalski, who attended the protest, said that he opposed the planned construction, describing it as “devastation of this part of Kazimierz” as well as “gentrification and maximum touristification”, reports Radio Kraków.

He promised to submit a motion to the city council to change the local development plan, effectively limiting the possibility of establishing hotels in the area, and to provide tenants with legal support.

Kazimierz is one of the city’s most famous districts, a major draw both for its former Jewish heritage and its lively nightlife. Initiatives such as the annual Jewish Culture Festival and Jewish Community Centre also began to rekindle the Jewish life that was wiped out by the Holocaust.

In a statement sent to Gazeta Krakowska, De Silva Haus assured that, as part of its investment in the buildings, premises would be allocated for local businesses “so as to preserve the commercial character of the street”.

However, it emphasised that the properties are in need of extensive renovation and confirmed that tenants had been given notice to leave, adding that it was offering them assistance on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, the bishop of Kraków, Grzegorz Ryś, has asked the Canons Regular of the Lateran for their position regarding the future of the buildings, reports Radio Kraków.

The buildings earmarked for development are currently home to around 20 people, reports Gazeta Krakowska. Fifteen years ago, when the investment plans were already in the works, 70 families were still living there.

“Many apartments have already been emptied,” Franciszek Niedziela, a resident since birth, told the newspaper. “I received notice. I’ll wait and see what happens because the proposals aren’t acceptable to me. For older people, this is a real tragedy. With this investment, Kazimierz will lose its charm. A hotel here will kill it.”

A married couple living in the buildings told local news website Krknews that they had been there since 1972.

“I don’t know how long I’ll live and I don’t want to worry that I’ll be left without a roof over my head,” said another resident. “We don’t have anywhere to go. We simply can’t afford it.”

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Bogusław Świerzowski / kraków.pl

Ben Koschalka

Ben Koschalka is a translator, lecturer, and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.