Described by Oskar Singer as the "heart and brains of the ghetto,” Bałucki Rynek was where all the principle offices of the ghetto administration were based – including Rumkowski’s custom-made barracks. It was also the logistics hub of the whole area, where food arrived, and where goods made in the ghetto left. The Rynek was separated from the rest of the ghetto and could only be accessed with a special pass. Today it’s hard to get a feel for what was once here, and nowadays anyone penetrating the market square is liable to leave blinded by the plastic gizmos and general detritus on sale.
