Cracow

History

IVe century

First traces of dwellings on the hill of Wawel.

VIIIe century

The history of Cracow starts before the creation of the Polish State as a capital of the people the Vistula. According to the legend, the city was based by the chief of these people, Krak, on the Wawel hill above the cave of a dragon. The first historical writings give a report on Slavic people being installed on the edges of the Vistula at the 8th century. One indicates to it that the prince of Vistules was baptized. Undoubtedly should it there be seen the sign that Cracow belonged to the Grande Moravie.

Xe century

When Large Moravie is destroyed by the Hungarian, Cracow is then managed by the kings of Bohemia. At the end of the 10th century, Cracow is an important shopping mall and, conquered by Boleslas I {{er}} Valiant the, it passes under the domination of the dynasty Piast. Tangible historical data are available after the year 1000. The first stone monuments are built at that time: a castle, churches Romance be, a Cathédrale, a Basilique as well as the churches Saint-Felix and Adaukt.

XIe in XIIIe century

In 1038, Cracow becomes the capital of Poland. Starting from 1072, Holy Stanislas, patron saint of Poland, is bishop of the city. Two hundred years later, the city is almost completely destroyed by the raids of the Tatars. In 1257, Cracow is rebuilt and one can see of it the result still today in the old city. Under the reign of Sigismond of Luxembourg, it becomes member of the Hanseatic League. Since 1150, there exists a school of Latin under the direction of évêché of Cracow and Casimir III of Poland (Casimir the Large one) there founds in 1364 the Université jagellonne (the second older university in Central Europe after that of Prague). The archbishop of Cracow is then equal princes of the Empire.

XIVe century

In 1308, the rebellion of the German-speaking citizens of Cracow is crushed by the king of Poland. The German-speaking citizens conceal their political ambitions and test “ poloniser ” as soon as possible by learning Polish.

Cracow knows one flourishing period under the reign of the dynasty Lithuania Jagellon (1386 - 1572) which maintained good relationships with the Habsbourg. Capital of a powerful State, it becomes a bubbling center of arts and sciences, admired by the foreigners and encensée by the poets. From this time go back to many monuments and artistic works from the Renaissance.

XVe century

In 1475, the duke George the Rich person of Bavaria request the hand of Edwige, girl of Casimir IV Jagellon. After a voyage 2 months, Edwige arrives at Landshut where its marriage is celebrated with ostentation ( Landshuter Hochzeit ).

In 1488, the humanistic and poet prize winner of the empire Conrad Celtes founds the Sodalitas Litterarum Vistulana , a company of scientists based on the model of the Roman Académies . The following year, Veit Stoss of Nuremberg brings the last key to the large furnace bridge of the church Notre-Dame. It finishes also the sarcophagus of marble for Casimir IV Jagellon. Many artists (mainly of Nuremberg) worked in Cracow. Before 1500, Haller met places from there the first press of Imprimerie at Cracow.

XVIe century

Copernic studies in Cracow. In 1505, the “Balthasar Behem Codex”, name of the chancellor of Cracow, described and regulates the statutes of the corporations of the citizens of German language in the city. In 1520, Johann Behem orders the production of the Sigismund bell which is today still the largest bell of Poland. At that time, Hans To last, the youngest brother of Albrecht To last, is painter at the court of Sigismond I {{er}} Jagellon. Hans von Kulmbach finishes the furnace bridge church Midsummer's Day. The death of Sigismond II of Poland in 1572 puts an end to the Jagellon dynasty.

In 1596, the king Sigismond III Vasa transfers the royal residence to Warsaw which was annexed by Poland (it formed part before of the duchy of Mazovie). Cracow sees its influence decreasing and loses of its importance more especially as it is weakened by plunderings during the invasions Swedish are and by the Peste which makes 20.000 victims.

XVIIe at the XIXe century

Poland must face the desires of power of its adjoining countries, the Prussia and the Russia having sights on this territory. Tadeusz Kościuszko lance a last movement of revolt starting from Cracow to try to maintain the independence of Poland but that ends in a failure and in 1795, the country is divided between Prussia, Russia and the Austrian empire which inherited Cracow (built-in with the province of Galicie).

The year 1809 brings the release to Cracow which is integrated into the Grand-Duchy of Warsaw. Between 1815 and 1846, it is even a “free city” (free Ville of Cracow). In 1846, after a new attempt at rebellion, Cracow passes by again under the control of the Austrian empire. After the War austro-Prussian of 1866, the Austria grants autonomy to the Galician province in exchange of Polish honesty. Cracow is again a national symbol. The Austrians being less hard than the Russians or the Prussians, Cracow can open out and become again the arts center and artistic of Poland. Famous painters, writers and poets come there to work: Jan Matejko, Stanisław Wyspiański, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Stanislaw Przybyszewski, Jan Kasprowicz, Juliusz Kossak and Wojciech Kossak. Cracow becomes the principal center of the Polish modernism whose largest representatives are Wyspianski and Przybyszewski.

In Cracow and Warsaw, liberation movements main road are active in spite of the occupation and the coercive measures and décourageantes taken by the occupying powers (use of Polish banished in many areas…).

XXe century

At the time of the First World War, the troops of Cracow fights at the side of the central Empires with Germany and Austria in order to obtain a certain autonomy, following a jointly made promise on November 5th, 1916. In 1917, the Germans and the Austro-Hungarians install a provisional Council of State. In 1918, Woodrow Wilson takes party for the independence of Poland, and Cracow and the Galicie belong to Poland, while the troops of Józef Piłsudski disarm the Austro-Hungarian army present in the area.

In September 1939, Cracow fall to the hands from the Wehrmacht following the remainder from Poland. It becomes the capital of the Polish occupied territories. The governor Hans Frank arranges concentration camps in the surroundings with Plaszow and Auschwitz. Although the occupants made some damage, Cracow was overall preserved bombardments and massive destruction but she suffered from the loss of many inhabitants: Jews and scientists were off-set. Thus, more than 150 professors and scientists of the University jagellonne of Cracow, joined together for a top, there were stopped and off-set with the Concentration camp of Sachsenhausen where the majority perished.

After the Second world war, the the USSR tries to decrease the influence of the artistic and intellectual circles of Cracow in order to facilitate the passage of Poland in a socialist State. A new close city Nowa Huta is created where was built the largest factory of production of steel in the world at the time (whose gas emissions damaged the historical center). The goal was to attract “socialist” workers to counterbalance the weight of the “capitalist” intellectuals.

Since the end of the Second world war, the population of Cracow quadrupled and the city is become again the arts center of Poland. In 1978, UNESCO registered Cracow on the Liste of the world heritage.

Three centuries ago, Cracow obtained the honorary title of “ totius Poloniae urbs celeberrima ” which reflects the character single and exceptional of this city, old capital of Poland, city of the astronomer Nicolas Copernic and of the pope Jean-Paul II.

Cracow Jewish

Several centuries of presence Following the example several big cities of Poland, the history of Cracow is strongly marked by the presence of an important Jewish community whose first traces go back to the 13th century. Profiting from a relative protection on behalf of the local authorities, the Jews contributed to the economic prosperity of the city and its social enrichment with the wire of the generations. They also took part in the political life until the high positions, like the mayor of 1933 to 1939, Mieczysław Kaplicki (born Maurycy Kapellner, 1875-1959), or the rabbi Ozjasz Thon (1870-1936), appointed with the Sejm of 1919 to 1935.

The Jewish population passed from 25.870 in 1900 to 56.800 in 1931. Before the second world war, one estimates that nearly a quarter of the inhabitants of Cracow were Jews, that is to say a Jewish population of 60.000 people on a total of 250.000 inhabitants approximately.

a remarkable cultural life

The Jews of Cracow resided mainly in the district of Kazimierz in which were of synagogs number, schools and institutions Jews like trade and places Community.

The street Szeroka, the Synagog Remuh and its cemetery of the 16th century, the synagogs Stara, Wysoka, Isaac and Kupa or the New Place constitute the last vestiges of what was, there are a few tens of years still, one of most eminent the place of the culture Yiddish in Central Europe.

the destroying breath of Shoah

90% of the Jews of Cracow were assassinated by the Nazis between 1939 and 1945. The Holocauste emptied the town of its inhabitants Jews who were off-set, with a rare cruelty, in the extermination neighbors and concentration camps. 20.000 of them were temporarily locked up in the ghetto of the district of Podgorze located on other side of the Vistula.

The rare survivors ran up thereafter against sharp a Antisémitisme of the Christian community as the Pogrom testifies some which take place the August 11th 1945 in the city. They were also victims of handling by the mode of Wladyslaw Gomulka which tried to make them take the responsibility for its failures in the years 1960 and organized iniquitous political lawsuits. It would remain today in Cracow approximately 200 Jews, for the majority of the elderly.

Towards a rebirth? Completely left with the abandonment during the fifty last years, the district of Kazimierz currently knows a light tourist revival, mainly because of the success met by film of Steven Spielberg, “the List of Schindler”, realized on the spot. The work of the scenario writer clarifies the role of a German industrialist who saved hundreds of lives while making work in his factory of the Jews promised with an unquestionable death. With the pharmacist of the ghetto, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, it accepted the title of “Juste among the nations” of the Mémorial of Yad Vashem of Jerusalem.

Visitors go now on the spot of turning and discover there restaurants, coffees and bookstores drawing from the Jewish past of the city an original set of themes (see for example the Cracow site Jewish).

If these initiatives seem to announce a form of material rehabilitation of the places, they do not raise of it less the question of the respect of the memory of the victims of cruelty main road-Socialist. The martyr of the Jewish people remains incommensurable in Poland and Cracow was one of its more tragic theaters.

Administration

From the Cracow March 27th, 1991 is divided into 18 districts:

I - Stare Miasto
II - Grzegórzki
III - Prądnik Czerwony
IV - Prądnik Biały
V - Krowodrza
VI - Bronowice
VII - Zwierzyniec
VIII - Dębniki
IX - Łagiewniki-Borek Fałęcki
X - Swoszowice
XI - Podgórze Duchackie
XII - Bieżanów-Prokocim
XIII - Podgórze
XIV - Czyżyny
XV - Mistrzejowice
XVI - Bieńczyce
XVII - Wzgórza Krzesławickie
XVIII - Nowa Huta

Tourism

With its very many souvenir shops and its merchants of Bagel and Bretzel S with all the corners of street, Cracow became, after the communist period, an important tourist center as well from the national point of view as international and it accommodates each year more than 200.000 mainly German, Italian and American visitors.

Cracow is also the starting point of excursions towards the salt mines with Wieliczka, the churches out of wooden, the mountains Tatras, Czestochowa, the old concentration camp of Auschwitz or towards the Ojcow national park.

the good plan

Chart Polonaise (Karta Polska): Launched in 2004, in the form of a chart of reduction, it makes it possible to benefit from many reductions granted by several hotel establishments, restaurants, museums, tourist sites and shops on the whole of the Polish territory. It is distributed free by the tourist offices in Poland.

Public transport

Inheritance

Structure

Cracow practically did not undergo any destruction since that of the Tatars to the Moyen-âge and industrialization was done primarily apart from the city which is thus rich examples of all the times, especially of the Renaissance, but also of style Baroque and neogothic ( Collegium Novum ). The interior of the buildings to him was also saved plunderings and the palates, churches and old aristocratic residences of Cracow shine by the richness of the architectural details, the stained glasses, paintings and sculptures, ornamentations… Since 2002, the “holes” in the city are filled by new constructions being integrated in the architectural landscape of the city and the old residences are renovated by preserving the frontages of origin at least.

Among the hundreds of historic buildings, here some particularly interesting:

the Royal Castle and the Cathedral on the hill of Wawel where the king Jean III Sobieski is buried;
the medieval old city (Stare Miasto in Polish) with its town square (Rynek Glowny, the greatest place of Europe) in the middle of which one finds the Sukiennice (Market with cloths filled of small souvenir shops); east coast of the place throne the Holy Basilica Marie and the statue of Adam Mickiewicz;
of the dozen old churches and museums;
buildings of the University Jagiellon dating from the XIVe century;
Kazimierz , the historical center of the religious and social life of the Jews of Cracow.

Education

Cracow is an important training center. There are 12 universities gathering 10.000 scientists and 170.000 students.

Bonds towards these establishments:

University Jagellonne (Uniwersytet Jagielloński)
University of Economy (Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny)
University of Sciences and of Technology AGH (Akademia Gorniczo-Hutnicza)
Akademia Muzyczna
Akademia Rolnicza
Akademia Sztuk Pieknych
Panstwowa Wyzsza Szkola Teatralna
Polytechnic school of Cracow (Politechnika Krakowska)
Wyzsza Szkola Pedagogiczna
Wyzsza Szkola Zarzadzania I Bankowosci
V Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Augusta Witkowskiego
I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Nowodworskiego

Cultural life

Culture

Cracow counts many theaters of which:

the Old Theater (Stary Teatr)
the Theater Slowacki
the Opera of Cracow
the Operetta of Cracow

Each year, of many artistic events are held in Cracow, some having even an international significance. One can note the Festival of the Short film, the Festival “Genius Loci” in Kazimierz in October, the Festival of classical music in historical places in August or the Jazz festival with “Pod Baranami” in July…

The great cultural tradition of the city inspires the creativity of the modern artists Polish and many are those which chose to live and to continue their artistic career in Cracow:

Museums

The richness of the cultural life of Cracow can be underlined through the collections of the 28 museums and national galleries among which the National museum and the Czartoryski Museum which have true treasures (for example, works of Léonard de Vinci and Rembrandt, sculptures, chiefs of work of goldsmithery and documents exceptional)

Some of the many museums of the city:

National museum (Léonard de Vinci, Rembrandt)
“Bunkier Sztuki” (Modern art)
Gallery in the Market with Cloths Sukiennice (Paintings and Polish sculptures of the XIXe century)
House of Jan Matejko
Manggha House (it is not a question of Japanese mangas but of Japanese collections however)
Archaeological Musée with a permanent exposure over “1000 years, Cracow and Egypt”
Musée of the University Jagellone
Royal Château of Wawel

Sport

KS Cracovia and the Wisla Cracow are the two principal clubs of Football of the city.

Personalities

Twinnings

The city is twinned with

Photograph gallery

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