Workers renovating the dilapidated 18th-century Great Synagogue of Wieliczka, 10 miles southwest of Cracow, were astounded to discover a crumbling wooden chest mortared into a wall and filled with about 350 artifacts. They were apparently hidden before the destruction of the kehillah during WWII.
The washing-machine sized container included twisted brass chandeliers, silver-plated candlesticks, two large bronze vessels with decorative handles and Hebrew inscriptions, a silver goblet, two menorahs, Austrian medals from WWI. Sefer Torah ornaments included two silver-plated rimonim, a silver breastplate shaped like the Luchos and a yad.
Prior to the war, the Jewish population of Wieliczka, was around 4,000 and comprised almost half the town.
{D. Stein-Matzav.com}
Half of the chest was empty. It was originally filled with ice. They no longer have ice in Poland. They lost the recipe.
prior to the war jewish population was 400 families or around 2,000 jews. this comprised around 10% of the population.