Krakow is named after King Krak who ruled the city over 1 000 years ago. Polish people tell a myth (a story that’s probably not true) that Krak was a peasant (a simple person) who married the king’s daughter when he killed a dragon that was causing trouble in Poland. Eventually he became king. What is true is that there was a good king in Poland named Casimir III who protected and invited Jews to come to Poland and Krakow. Casimir liked the Jews because they knew how to read and write (unlike most people of that time) and brought business to Poland. He made special laws protecting Jews and they moved from Germany to Poland. 

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