Forgotten Galicia

Kraków was considered as the unofficial capital of the western part of Galicia and the second most important city in the region. As in other former Galician cities, today various traces of its time under the Austrian Empire can still be found in the urban landscape.

In particular, Kraków has its fair share of ghost signs — traces of historical hand-painted signage, typically advertising various goods and products. The majority of signs are in Polish. However, quite a few signs in Yiddish can be found in the former Jewish quarter. Some signs are in good shape and some have been restored, while others are very faded and/or only party exposed.

Gallery of Kraków Ghost Signs

Yiddish and Polish Signage

Especially in the former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, one can find many ghost signs in Yiddish, typically accompanied by the Polish translations.

Multi-Layered Ghost Signs

Here is an example of multi-layered ghost signs (aka as palimpsests). This is when even older signs are visible under newer layers of paint and words. Signs were repainted regularly to keep up to date with the latest design and color trends, as well as to stay up to date with the shop’s available products and services.

Manicules

Old signs sometimes featured hand-painted manicules, a pointing hand symbol used as a direction pointer. I have found a few examples in both Lviv and Kraków. They typically show the direction to an entrance or exit:

“Nowa farbiarnia i chem. pralnia” (New dye shop and dry cleaning)
“Parowa fabryka wyrobów chemicznych Karola Rzacy” (Karol Rzaca’s Steam factory for chemical products). There is a connection to Lviv in the bottom sign, which translates to: “First regional perfume and cosmetics factory in Lviv is recommended by the sukiennice (Krakow’s Renaissance Cloth Hall) in Kraków”
“Wchód do mleczarni” (Entrance to the dairy)

Large Ghost Signs on the Side of Buildings

Then and Now

An example of restoration of ghost signs — the top row was what the ghost signs looked like in 2012, while the bottom two were photographed post restoration in 2017.