Kazimierz is the Jewish quarter of Krakow, one of the historically important areas of the city. It was founded in the 14th century. as a separate city in the south of Krakow by decree of the Polish king Casimir III, which is reflected in the name of the quarter. From the end of the XV century. and before World War II, the Krakow Jewish community lived here, so many synagogues and other buildings of Jewish architecture are concentrated in the area: ancient Jewish cemeteries and schools, the center of Jewish culture, the Old Synagogue, the Bne Emun Synagogue and much more. Most of the inhabitants of the once bustling Jewish quarter were massacred by the German occupation authorities during the Holocaust. Now, on the small streets and small squares of Kazimierz, there are several museums, various shops, pubs, restaurants and antique shops. Every year, the area also hosts the Festival of Jewish Culture.