History

Kraków: City of History

The winding river Wisla has a particularly sharp bend to the south of the city. It was here, at the foot of a small hill suitable for defensive purposes that early settlers built a small village well over a thousand years ago.

The importance of Polish amber in international trade has been highly beneficial to the city. By 1038 Kraków had become large and wealthy enough to be declared the official capital. It was extremely beautiful but much of it was soon destroyed by two Tartar invasions (1241 and 1242).

After this destruction, the city had to be largely rebuilt. Plans for this reconstruction were created on a massive scale: there were to be impressive defensive walls with towers and a moat and most important of all, a central square bigger than any other in all of Europe. Today, the small, central Old Town area can boast of more than 8000 historic monuments, buildings and structures.

Kazimierz the Great had an enormous impact on the city during his rule (1333-1370). He built the original Wawel (which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1495) and established the famous Jagiellonian University in 1364. This became one of Europe's oldest institutions of higher learning. Famous alumni include Copernicus and Pope John Paul II. The Collegium Maius, part of the original University complex, is a must-see for all visitors.

Kraków soon began to truly flourish and by the 16th Century it was experiencing its 'Golden Century'. In 1518, an Italian princess named Bona Sforza came to the city to marry King Zygmunt Stary (the Elder). Soon, Kraków was importing talented men from Renaissance Italy to build impressive new buildings and to create frescos, sculptures and other works of art. Some of those whose works still survive are Francesco the Florentine, Berrecci and Padovano.

In 1569, Poland was united with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which significantly extended the territory of the new nation to the north and east. This meant that the capital was far from the new territories: Warsaw, being much more centrally located, began to be the chosen location for meetings of the Sejm (or parliament). When King Zygmunt II died in 1572, a new king was elected not in Kraków, but in Warsaw. When a fire burnt down a large part of the Kraków Castle in 1595, King Zygmunt III used the tragedy as an excuse to temporarily move the royal entourage to Warsaw. In 1609 he made the move permanent and Warsaw was declared the new capital.

With the monarch gone, the religious orders quickly began to expand their power base in the city. Monastic orders set up new quarters or expanded existing ones. Each order also needed a church and the city was soon full of religious buildings featuring new architectural styles.

In 1655 Poland was invaded by the Swedes. Subsequent invasions by not only the Swedes, but also the Russians, Austrians and Prussians brought the city to its knees. However, Kraków began to develop a reputation as a seat of rebellion against foreign invaders. One of Poland's greatest heroes, Tadeusz Kosciuszko declared the beginning of a national uprising in the Old Town Square (1794). However, by 1795 the city was taken by the Prussians, who promptly confiscated the entire Royal Treasury.

Poland was partitioned again, and this time Kraków was given to the Austrians. There were several subsequent political changes, including a brief period in which the city became the independent 'Kraków Republic', but finally the Austrians took firm control once more, until the end of the First World War.

The inter-war years were a time of great hope. However, it all came to an end in 1939 when the Germans invaded. Kraków became the capital of a new German state. The historic area of Kazimierz, once a flourishing and lively center of Jewish faith and culture, was reduced to a ghost town.

Fortunately Kraków was spared wholesale destruction during the war but a different menace was imposed on it by the new Communist administration: the huge Nowa Huta Steel Works. The idea was to bring in thousands of manual workers who would undermine the intellectual character and traditional rebellious nature of the Krakówians.

The plan failed in several ways. First of all, the manual workers of Nowa Huta became a part of the Solidarity movement which eventually brought down the government. Secondly, the vast amounts of pollution from the works made the air thick with chemicals, turned the precious buildings and monuments black and shortened life expectancy

Since the fall of Communism, the city has gone from strength to strength and despite the increased crowds and considerable business growth, the city has maintained its historic charm.