O. Weinfeld Farby Lakiery

A ghost sign is a faded, hand-painted advertisement or business sign on a building’s exterior, often left over from decades past and preserved as a historical trace of the urban landscape. They’re powerful, especially when the stories behind the signage are difficult to come by.

For over a century, the faded inscription “O. Weinfeld Farby Lakiery” (“O. Weinfeld Paints Varnishes”) has quietly adorned the facade at Miodowa 12 in Kraków, Poland. More than just a ghost sign, it holds the memory of Ozjasz Weinfeld—a respected businessman, father of six, and generous community donor. His thriving wholesale business in paints and varnishes was once a fixture of the neighborhood. He eventually passed on to his son-in-law, Leon Wortsman.

Weinfeld’s name does appear in the 1929 Kraków telephone book, listed at Miodowa 14 as the head of an export house for paints, varnishes, and chemicals. Outside of this, there is not much known about Weinfeld. It’s likely that because he was Jewish, he did not survive after the Nazis took control of Poland. The surviving signage, though, offers a rare, tangible glimpse into Jewish life and entrepreneurship in pre-war Kraków, a city where Jewish presence dates back to the early 13th century.

Today, the ghost sign is a subtle but powerful monument—one that connects the present with a vibrant past still etched into the city’s walls.