Warsaw is the capital of Poland. It is the largest city by area and population in the country. After the fire in the Wawel Castle, King Sigismund the Third ordered his residence to be transferred to Warsaw. This happened in 1596. The capital of Poland was actually moved to the specified city. However, he gained legal status only after the adoption of the Constitution of 1791.
Etymological data
Many linguists and historians are convinced that the name of the city owes its origin to the possessive adjective "Warszowa" (or "Warszewa"), formed from the common name Warcislaw.
The name transformed from Warszewa to Warszawa in the sixteenth century. This phenomenon is associated with the peculiarities of the Mazovian dialect (it was distributed precisely on the territory where the modern capital of Poland is located). So, the vowel letter “a” passed into “e” in the position after soft consonants (the combination “sz” at that time was soft). In the fifteenth century, combinations with the secondary "e" were in the dialectal series, so people who adhere to literary pronunciation replaced them with forms with "a". In this case, the capital of Poland began to be called Warsaw as a result of replacing the etymological form with a hyper-correct one.
There is a popular belief that the Warszawa variant appeared as a result of joining the names of the fisherman Wars and the mermaid Sawa. The image of lovers, as the unofficial version says, has become the source of the name of the capital.
The most common legend about the founding of Warsaw tells of a certain prince (ruler) named Casimir. Having lost his way during the hunt, he came across a poor fisherman's hut on the banks of the Vistula. There he saw a girl who had just given birth to two boys - Varsha and Sava. Casimir agreed to become the godfather of the twins and well thanked the hosts for their hospitality. They had enough money donated to build another house nearby. Other fishermen also began to build their huts in this place. And that was the beginning of the capital of the state.
Official symbols
The capital of Poland has its own symbol. This is the aforementioned mermaid Sava. Her image can be seen even on the coat of arms of the city. The monument in honor of the mythical creature is installed on the Market Square.
The emblem has the shape of a French shield. Its color is red. On the upper border there is a ribbon with the motto, at the tongue - the Silver Cross of the Order of Military Merit.
The flag of the capital is a banner consisting of two stripes of the same red and yellow color.
Historical information
According to ancient documents found by archaeologists, in the tenth century on the territory of modern Warsaw there were several settlements, the most important of which were Kamion, Brodno and Jazdow. However, the first wooden structures appeared here only in the twelfth century, and stone - in the fourteenth.
New time
What capital of Poland was the center of the Masovian principality? Warsaw Subsequently, it was considered the residence of the Polish kings and Lithuanian princes. From 1791 to 1795, this city was the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1807 to 1813 - the Duchy of Warsaw, from 1815 to 1915 - the Kingdom of Poland.
During the occupation of 1939-1944, the country of Poland suffered greatly. The capital - Warsaw - was defeated by German bombers. The city was liberated on January 17, 1945 during the successful conduct of the Wisla-Oder operation.
At the end of the 2nd world capital in Poland began to actively recover. However, only the Royal Route, the Old and New Towns were reconstructed in their historical form.
Large European cities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were characterized by dense buildings. She was not kept in order to improve housing hygiene in accordance with the ideological program of the pro-communist regime and ideas about modernism.
Most of the city was transformed fundamentally. Warsaw has changed not only in urban planning, but also in architectural terms.
Weather
Warsaw has a temperate continental climate with humid, warm summers and mild winters. Frosts below fifteen degrees and heat above thirty are a rarity. Autumn is usually warm and lingering; spring usually comes gradually. On average, 530 millimeters of precipitation falls annually.
Administrative separation
Since 2002, the capital of Poland is a county consisting of one commune. The latter, in turn, is divided into eighteen districts (dzelnitsy).
A bit about chief police officers
Until 1833, the Warsaw police was one of the departments of the municipal government of the capital, which was under the jurisdiction of the president of the country. On the twentieth of June (the second of July according to the old style) of the indicated year, a Decree of the Council of Management of the Kingdom of Poland was issued. According to this document, the executive police were separated from the administrative and transferred to the jurisdiction of the vice president of the capital, who later became officially known as the Warsaw Chief Police Officer.
Population
For a long time, the fact that the city was one of the transshipment points at the intersection of trade routes and trans-European migration influenced the evolution and increase in the number of Warsaw residents. This significantly affected the number and national composition of local residents. Before Warsaw became a center of services and industry, the majority of the population consisted of merchants. According to the 1897 census, 34% of the inhabitants were Jews (219,000 out of 638,000). The mixture of nationalities, ideas and trends led to the emergence of an unofficial name for the capital. Poland became famous thanks to the “Second Paris” - Warsaw.
The architectural appearance of the city
Modern Warsaw is a mixture of a variety of architectural styles and trends. This is due to the difficult history of both the country and the city itself. The adjustment process after the Second World War made its own adjustments. The historical center of the capital - the Royal Palace - is still being restored. It is noteworthy that this territory is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is recognized as the personification of the thorough restoration process of the destroyed historical monument.
During the time of the Polish People’s Republic, many buildings in the style of the Stalinist Empire style appeared in the city . Some significant buildings were restored after the NDP fell. Today, the city’s architecture is increasingly replenished with modern business centers and skyscrapers.
Transport system
The capital's public transport network has reached a high level of development. A large number of bus routes have been developed. Transport is strictly on schedule. From time to time, low-floor buses run for the convenience of people with disabilities.
There is one subway line in the city, many tram lines. Tickets for travel can be purchased at kiosks at stops or from the driver, while all of them are universal, and there is no separation by type of vehicle. The capital has a developed bicycle rental network.
The former capital of Poland
Previously, Krakow was considered the main city of the country. And even its full official name - the Royal Capital City of Krakow - recalls this. Until the eighteenth century, all Polish rulers were crowned there.
A look into the past
Krakow is conveniently located on the territory where r. Wisla becomes shipping. Thanks to its favorable geographical position, the city rapidly expanded its position and became rich. Boleslav the Brave founded the episcopal department there in 1000. Counting on the support of the princes of Silesia and feeling their importance, in 1311 the Krakow Germans organized a revolt against Vladislav Lokotka. The uprising was quickly crushed, and the rebels lost all privileges and privileges.
The value of Krakow began to increase in the fourteenth century. In 1319, the current ruler - Vladislav Pervy Lokotok - moved his residence there (previously it was in Gniezno). During the reign of Casimir the Great, new structures were erected in the city, areas such as trade and crafts were developed. In February 1386, Jagiello was baptized in the former Polish capital. There he was married to Jadwiga.
When the Jagiellons were in power, Krakow finally strengthened its position as the main city of the kingdom. The number of inhabitants has increased to one hundred thousand.
What was the capital of Poland in the sixteenth century? In 1596, the honorary title passed from Krakow to Warsaw. The welfare of the once richest city was slowly but surely undermined by enemy attacks. In 1787, the population of Krakow was less than ten thousand people.
Twentieth Century
Until 1918, Krakow was under the jurisdiction of Austria-Hungary. 1939-1945 are a tragic period in the history of the former capital. The Nazi invaders organized a ghetto in the city of Krakow, where they drove most of the Jews, who lived mainly in the Kazimierz region. Representatives of this nationality were mercilessly destroyed in the concentration camps Plashov and Auschwitz.
In January 1945, the city was liberated from invaders by the forces of the First Ukrainian Front. On August 11 of that year, a Jewish pogrom swept across Krakow. During the political crisis of 1968, an anti-Semitic campaign took place. Given the above events, most of the Jews who survived after the Holocaust left Poland.
Cultural Center
What is the capital in Poland now? The main city of the country is Warsaw. However, several centuries ago, the honorary title belonged to Krakow. That is why this city is still called the heart of Polish culture. Its historical center was to be destroyed during the retreat of German troops in 1945. However, as a result of an incredibly complex military operation conducted by fighters of the Soviet army and Polish resistance groups, the city survived.
The two main attractions of Krakow are located on Wawel Hill. The first of them is the Cathedral of Saints Stanislav and Wenceslas. This is one of the most revered temples in the country. Earlier, it held the coronation and funeral of the rulers of Poland. The second interesting building on the hill is the Royal Castle. Once it was the residence of the Jagiellon, Piast and Vazov. At first, the castle was a rather modest small building in the Romanesque style. Later it was repeatedly reconstructed, expanded. That is why it has the characteristic features of the architectural directions of many historical periods.
There are a great many churches in Krakow. The oldest is Maryatsky (Mariansky). It is widely known for its unsurpassed Gothic stained glass windows. At first the structure was wooden. In the thirteenth century, a new one was erected in its place - in the Romanesque style, but during one of the raids of the Tatars it was completely destroyed. The church was rebuilt in the fourteenth century, and in the Gothic style.
Another world famous attraction is the salt mines called Magnum Sal. They are located ten kilometers from Krakow - in the town of Velichko. Anyone can visit the one of a kind Salt Museum.
Famous Cracow Higher Education Institution - Jagiellonian University. The foundation certificate was issued by Casimir the Second back in May 1364. The following motto is inscribed at the entrance: "Reason conquers power." In this educational institution studied many luminaries of world science. Among them, Nikolai Copernicus, the astronomer and mathematician of the Renaissance period, the author of the heliocentric system of the world, is most often mentioned; Stanislav Lem - the most famous author of science fiction stories; John Paul II, ranked blessed.
Initially, eleven departments were formed, of which eight were legal, two medical and one liberal arts. The Department of Theology appeared later when the Pope received permission to do so. The University was headed by the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland. His responsibilities included caring for the activities and development of the institution.
Conclusion
Above, we examined why and when the name of the capital changed. Poland is known for many ancient cities, however, it is in Krakow and Warsaw that the main historical sights are concentrated, and some of them are even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.