Kraków, Poland, 1939
This violin was crafted in 1939 in Kraków, Poland, by Alexander Povolotzky, believed to be one of only a handful of Jewish violin makers working in Europe before the outbreak of World War II. Created on the eve of unimaginable destruction, the instrument reflects both the artistry and fragility of Jewish life in prewar Poland.
Povolotzky’s work stands as a rare testament to a nearly vanished tradition. Before the Holocaust, Jewish luthiers were an integral part of Europe’s vibrant musical culture—building, repairing, and perfecting the violins that filled concert halls, synagogues, and small-town celebrations alike. Their craftsmanship supported the music that defined daily life, faith, and identity.
This violin, completed just as war descended on Europe, represents more than an artisan’s skill—it captures a final moment of peace, creation, and continuity before everything changed. Whether or not it survived the war with its maker remains unknown, but its existence today bridges the world that was lost and the one rebuilt through remembrance.
Within the Violins of Hope collection, the Polish Violin Maker’s instrument honors the countless Jewish craftsmen whose names have faded, yet whose hands shaped the very instruments that continue to sing of resilience and hope.
