The building served as an enamelware factory starting in 1937, long before Schindler took it over in 1939.
The museum entrance leads through a symbolic wall of discarded enamel pots, referencing the factory's original industrial output.
Schindler originally acquired the factory as a business venture but gradually transformed it into a site of refuge.
The exhibition includes an original preserved office belonging to Oskar Schindler, which remains one of the few authentic rooms from the period.
The site was famously used as a primary filming location for Steven Spielberg's 1993 film, 'Schindler's List'.
Many of the exhibits are interactive, including period-accurate propaganda posters and vintage tram car mock-ups.
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory is a permanent historical exhibition titled 'Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945,' located in the original administrative building of the former Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik. The museum chronicles the city's wartime history through immersive, cinematic reconstructions of streets, apartments, and underground resistance meeting spots. It explores both the Jewish experience and the life of Oskar Schindler, who employed Jewish workers to protect them from deportation to concentration camps. Visitors walk through a series of chronological rooms designed to evoke the tension and scarcity of the occupation era. The site serves as an official branch of the Museum of Kraków. Its narrative blends personal testimonies with historical artifacts to present the complexities of the Holocaust and daily survival in occupied Poland.
The iconic sign featuring the original 'Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik' name on the factory exterior.
Book your entry tickets several days or weeks in advance, as time slots sell out quickly due to high popularity.
Wear comfortable walking shoes for traversing the varied surfaces and long exhibition path.
Consider renting the official audio guide to better understand the detailed historical context provided in each room.
Do not expect to see a 'movie museum' dedicated solely to the film; the focus is on the historical reality of the city's occupation.
Closed on the first Tuesday of every month.
Maintain a quiet, respectful demeanor throughout the exhibition due to the sensitive nature of the historical subject matter.
