Lasoty Hill
Lasoty Hill, also known as Mount St Benedict, is part of the limestone Krzemionki Podgórskie hills. It is named after the ancient Slavic man’s name, Lasota. A Romanesque rotunda church connected to a small fortress was built here in the 10th or 11th century. In the 13th century, the small church of St Benedict was built on its foundations. In 1853–56, the Fort of St Benedict, a section of the Austrian fortress of Kraków, was added nearby. Unique in its form, it is a “a Maximilian’s tower”, designed for defence, and is among the last structures of this type surviving in Europe. The art nouveau-modernistic villa settlement on top of the hill is a true oasis of peace and greenery. The oldest communal cemetery in Kraków was established on the south-eastern slope of the hill in the 18th century.
During the Second World War, the border of Kraków ghetto ran along the northern slope of the hill. For this reason, it became one of the locations for Schindler’s List. It is from here that Oscar Schindler (Liam Neeson) and his friend Ingrid (Béatrice Macola) watch the liquidation of the ghetto. They see people driven out from their homes, marched towards the camp in Płaszów, and executed. The protagonists’ attention is riveted to the famous “girl in a red coat” who, exploiting the guards’ momentary lack of attention, disappears into one of the houses.