"Twenty years ago it was a horrible situation. The whole city was poisoned and destroyed by industrial areas surrounding the city."

 

After World War II, the new communist regime built a giant steelworks near the city. Since opening in 1954, the steelworks at Nowa Huta has been spilling pollution over Krakow. Monuments that survived countless invasions have now been eaten away by acid rain. Since the demise of communism, things are changing.

 

Polish nobleman Boguslaw Rostworowski returned to Krakow in 1989 to reclaim his family home, Papeal Palace. With help from the city, he's restored his home. And similar renovations are going on all over Krakow, encouraged by a thriving environmental movement.

 

Production at the steelworks has been reduced significantly and efforts have been made to reduce pollution. The steelworks have even joined in the city's renovations, restoring the courtyard in Wawel castle, and casting a new clapper （铃舌）for the cathedral's legendary bell. After years of restoration, freshly painted buildings now stand beside their shabby neighbors. For the Polish people, the rebirth of Krakow is a potent symbol for the rebirth of their culture.