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== History ==
== History ==
[[Image:Wroclaw 1.jpg|thumb|295px|right|Town square]]
===Feudal period===
The city of Wrocław originated as a stronghold situated at a long-existing trading route to [[Greater Moravia]] and [[Bohemia]]. The city was first recorded in the 10th century as ''Vratislavia'', possibly derived from the name of the Bohemian duke [[Vratislav I]] who died in 921. The history of the city begins at the end of the 10th century under the Polish [[Piast]] dynasty. At that time the city bears the name of Vratislavia and is limited to [[Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław|district of Ostrów Tumski]] (the Cathedral Island).
[[Image:Wroclaw 1.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Town square]]
[[Image:Ortsnamen breslau 1900.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Breslau and surrounding villages (today: quarters of Wrocław) in 1900. <br><small>Source: [http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de].</small>]]
A stronghold situated at a long-existing trading place, later to become the site of Wroclaw, was part of [[Greater Moravia]], then [[Bohemia]]. The city was first recorded in the 10th century as ''Vratislavia'', possibly derived from the name of the Bohemian duke [[Vratislav I]], who died in 921.


[[Image:Wroclaw-Katedra-3.jpg|thumb|left|Wrocław Cathedral in the oldest district of [[Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław|Ostrów Tumski]]]]
The history of the city of Wroclaw begins at the end of the 10th century. At this time the city bears the name of Vratislavia and is limited to [[Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław|Ostrów Tumski]] (the Cathedral Island). In the year 1000 king [[Boleslaw I of Poland]] establishes the first [[Bishopric of Wroclaw|bishopric]] of [[Silesia]]. The city quickly becomes a commercial center and expands rapidly to the neighbouring Wyspa Piaskowa (Sand Island), and then to the left bank of the [[Odra]] river. In 1163 it becomes the capital of the duchy of Silesia.
In the year 1000 king [[Boleslaw I of Poland]] established the first [[Bishopric of Wroclaw|bishopric]] of [[Silesia]] there. The city quickly became a commercial center and expanded rapidly to the neighbouring Wyspa Piaskowa (Sand Island), and then to the left bank of the [[Odra]] river. In 1163 it became the capital of the duchy of Silesia. By 1139 two more settlements were built. One belonged to Governor [[Piotr Włostowic]] (a.k.a Piotr Włast [[Dunin]], Piotr Włost, Peter Wlast; ca. 1080–1153) and was situated near his residence on the Olbina by the St. Vincent's Benedictine Abbey. The other settlement was founded on the left bank of the [[Oder River]], near the present seat of the university. It was located on the trade route that lead from [[Leipzig]] and [[Liegnitz]] (Polish: ''Legnica'') and followed through [[Opole]], and [[Kraków]] to [[Kievan Rus']].


The city was devastated in 1241 during the [[Mongol invasion of Europe]]. The rebuilding included expansion of the Main Market Square (Rynek) and all surrounding areas. Decimated population was reinforced by many [[Germans]] who settled there. Soon the name Breslau appeared for the first time in written records. The new and rebuilt town was given [[Magdeburg rights]] in 1262 and, at the end of the 13th century joined the [[Hanseatic League]]. The Polish [[Piast|rulling]] dynasty remained in control of the region.
By 1139 two more settlements are founded. One belongs to Governor [[Piotr Włostowic]] (a.k.a Piotr Włast [[Dunin]], Piotr Włost, Peter Wlast; ca. 1080–1153) and is situated near his residence on the [[Olbina]], and the [[St. Vincent's Benedictine Abbey]]{{verify spelling|St. Vincent's Benedictine Abbey: see talk page}}.


[[Image:Wroclaw town hall, full view.jpg|thumb|right|295px|Wrocław historic City Hall]]
The other settlement is founded on the left bank of the [[Oder River]], near the present seat of the university. At the time it is the trade route that leads from [[Leipzig]] and [[Liegnitz]] (Polish: ''Legnica''), and then follows through [[Opole]], and [[Kraków]] to [[Kievan Rus']].
In 1289-1292 the [[Přemyslid]] King of [[Bohemia]], [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia|Wenceslaus II]], became Duke of Silesia, then also King of Poland. With [[John of Bohemia|John of Luxemburg]] and his son, Emperor [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] (and king of Bohemia), Silesia was united with Bohemia, but retained its separate ''[[Ius indigenatus]]''. The first illustration of the city was published in the ''[[Nuremberg Chronicle]]'' in 1493. Documents of that time refered to the town by many variants of the name including ''Wratislaw'', ''Bresslau'' and ''Presslau''.


During much of the [[Middle Ages]] Wrocław was ruled by its [[Dukes of Silesia#Duchy of Wrocław|dukes of the Silesian Piast dynasty]]. Although the city was not part of its principality, the [[Bishop of Breslau]] was a [[prince-bishop]] since Bishop Preczlaus of Pogarell (1341-1376) bought the Duchy of [[Grodków|Grottkau]] from Duke Boleslaw of [[Brzeg|Brieg]] and added it to the episcopal territory of [[Nysa, Poland|Neisse]], after which the Bishops of Breslau had the titles of Prince of Neisse and Duke of Grottkau, and took precedence over the other Silesian rulers.
Emperor [[Barbarossa]] forms two duchies (1157, 1163) in Silesia. The Silesian dukes take their land as fiefs from the [[Holy Roman Empire]]{{Fact|date=December 2007}}.

[[Mongol invasion of Europe|Mongol]] raids begin and the city is devastated in 1241. The rebuilding was characterised by expanding the boundaries to the area around the Market Square (Rynek). At that time many [[Germans]] settle down to join and reinforce the thinned out population. Soon the name Breslau appears for the first time in written records. The rebuilt town is given [[Magdeburg rights]] in 1262. Trade is booming which results in the fact that at the end of the 13th century Wroclaw joins the [[Hanseatic League]]. However, the Polish [[Piast]] dynasty remains in control of Silesia.

[[Image:Wroclaw plac solny.jpg|thumb|Plac Solny (Salt Market)|left]]
[[Image:Wroclaw town hall, full view.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Wrocław Town Hall]]

In 1289-1292 the [[Přemyslid]] King of [[Bohemia]], [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia|Wenceslaus II]], became Duke of Silesia, then also King of Poland. With [[John of Bohemia|John of Luxemburg]] and his son, Emperor [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] (and king of Bohemia), Silesia was united with Bohemia, but retained its separate ''[[Ius indigenatus]]''.
The first illustration of the city was published in the ''[[Nuremberg Chronicle|Nuremberg Chronicle (Schedelsche Weltchronik)]]'' in 1493.
Documents of that time refer to the town by many variants of the name, including ''Bresslau'', ''Presslau'', ''Breslau'' and ''Wratislaw''.

During much of the [[Middle Ages]] Wroclaw was ruled by its [[Dukes of Silesia#Duchy of Wrocław|dukes of the Silesian Piast dynasty]]. Although the city was not part of its principality, the [[Bishop of Breslau]] was a [[prince-bishop]] since Bishop Preczlaus of Pogarell (1341-1376) bought the Duchy of [[Grodków|Grottkau]] from Duke Boleslaw of [[Brzeg|Brieg]] and added it to the episcopal territory of [[Nysa, Poland|Neisse]], after which the Bishops of Breslau had the titles of Prince of Neisse and Duke of Grottkau, and took precedence over the other Silesian rulers.


[[Image:Wroclaw plac solny.jpg|thumb|left|Plac Solny (Salt Market)]]
In 1335, it was incorporated with almost the entirety of Silesia into the Kingdom of [[Bohemia]] and was part of it until the 1740s; from 1526, it was ruled by the Empire's [[Habsburg]] dynasty. By this time the inhabitants of mixed Silesian, Bohemian, Moravian, and often of Polish ancestry, had become dominated by influx of German colonists and settlers throughout the centuries.<br/>
In 1335, it was incorporated with almost the entirety of Silesia into the Kingdom of [[Bohemia]] and was part of it until the 1740s; from 1526, it was ruled by the Empire's [[Habsburg]] dynasty. By this time the inhabitants of mixed Silesian, Bohemian, Moravian, and often of Polish ancestry, had become dominated by influx of German colonists and settlers throughout the centuries.<br/>
The overwhelming majority of the population became [[Lutheranism|lutheran]] during the [[Protestant Reformation]] as did most of Lower Silesia, but they were forcibly suppressed during the [[Catholic Reformation]] by [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] working with the support of the Habsburg rulers.
The overwhelming majority of the population became [[Lutheranism|lutheran]] during the [[Protestant Reformation]] as did most of Lower Silesia, but they were forcibly suppressed during the [[Catholic Reformation]] by [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] working with the support of the Habsburg rulers.
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===Modern history===
===Modern history===
[[Image:Wroclaw town square and St Elisabeth church.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Town square and [[St. Elisabeth's Church, Wrocław|St. Elisabeth's Church]]]]
[[Image:Wroclaw town square and St Elisabeth church.jpg|295px|thumb|right|Town square and [[St. Elisabeth's Church, Wrocław|St. Elisabeth's Church]]]]
[[Image:Poland Wroclaw Peoples Hall.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Hala Stulecia (Centential Hall) also known as Hala Ludowa (People's Hall) (Ger.: Jahrhunderthalle) by the modernist architect [[Max Berg]]]]
[[Image:Poland Wroclaw Peoples Hall.jpg|thumb|right|295px|Hala Stulecia or Hala Ludowa (Centential, or People's Hall) (Ger.: ''Jahrhunderthalle'') designed by the modernist architect [[Max Berg]]]]
[[Image:Wroclaw-Junkernstrasse-Poelzig.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Department Store (formerly In the Junkernstraße.) Owned by Kaufhaus Petersdorff before the war, it was designed by [[Hans Poelzig]] in 1912.]]
[[Image:Wroclaw-Junkernstrasse-Poelzig.jpg|thumb|right|295px|Department Store designed in 1912 by [[Hans Poelzig]]]]
[[Image:Wroclaw Central Station.JPG|thumb|Wroclaw Central Train Station|300px]]
[[Image:Wroclaw Central Station.JPG|thumb|Wroclaw Central Train Station|295px]]
After the demise of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1806, Prussia, and the city, became a part of the [[German Confederation]]. In 1811 the Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität ([[Wrocław University]]) was re-established. In [[1813]] King [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] gave a speech in Breslau signalling Prussia's intent to join the [[Russian Empire]] against [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. When the Prussian-led [[German Empire]] was created in 1871 during the process of [[unification of Germany|Germany's unification]], Breslau became the empire's sixth-largest city and a major industrial centre, notably of linen and cotton manufacture; its population more than tripled to over half a million between 1860 and 1910.
After the demise of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1806, Prussia, and the city, became a part of the [[German Confederation]]. In 1811 the Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität ([[Wrocław University]]) was re-established. In [[1813]] King [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] gave a speech in Breslau signalling Prussia's intent to join the [[Russian Empire]] against [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. When the Prussian-led [[German Empire]] was created in 1871 during the process of [[unification of Germany|Germany's unification]], Breslau became the empire's sixth-largest city and a major industrial centre, notably of linen and cotton manufacture; its population more than tripled to over half a million between 1860 and 1910.


Due to increased ethnic tensions, in August [[1920]] during the pro-Polish [[Silesian Uprising]], Germans devastated the local Polish school and burned the Polish library. In 1923 the city was a scene of [[antisemitism|antisemitic]] riots.<ref name="Microcosm_396">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 396; van Rahden, Juden, p. 323-26</ref> In 1933 the [[Gestapo]] began actions against Polish and Jewish students<ref name="Microcosm_395">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395</ref> who were issued special [[racial segregation|segregationist]] ID documents like those of [[KPD|Communists]], [[SPD|Social Democrats]], [[trade unionists]], and other people deemed threats to the state. Notably, people were even arrested and beaten for using Polish in public.<ref name="Kulak_252">Kulak, p. 252</ref> In 1938 the Polish cultural centre (the Polish House) in Breslau was destroyed by the police,<ref name="Microcosm_395">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395</ref> and many of the city's 10,000 [[Jew]]s were deported to pre-war concentration camps; those who remained were killed during the [[Nazism|Nazi]] genocide of [[World War II]]. Most of the Polish elites also left during 1920s and 1930s, while Polish leaders who remained were sent to [[German concentration camps]].<ref name="Microcosm_395">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395</ref> By 1939 the city, as a German city until 1945, was naturally almost entirely [[Germanisation#Germanization during the Second World War|Germanised]]; in other words, [[ethnic cleansing|ethnically cleansed]].<ref name="Microcosm_394">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 394</ref>
Due to increased ethnic tensions, in August [[1920]] during the pro-Polish [[Silesian Uprising]], Germans devastated the local Polish school and burned the Polish library. In 1923 the city was a scene of [[antisemitism|antisemitic]] riots.<ref name="Microcosm_396">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 396; van Rahden, Juden, p. 323-26</ref> In 1933 the [[Gestapo]] began actions against Polish and Jewish students<ref name="Microcosm_395">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395</ref> who were issued special [[racial segregation|segregationist]] ID documents like those of [[KPD|Communists]], [[SPD|Social Democrats]], [[trade unionists]], and other people deemed threats to the state. Notably, people were even arrested and beaten for using Polish in public.<ref name="Kulak_252">Kulak, p. 252</ref> In 1938 the Polish cultural centre (the Polish House) in Breslau was destroyed by the police,<ref name="Microcosm_395">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395</ref> and many of the city's 10,000 [[Jew]]s were deported to pre-war concentration camps; those who remained were killed during the [[Nazism|Nazi]] genocide of [[World War II]]. Most of the Polish elites also left during 1920s and 1930s while Polish leaders who remained were sent to [[German concentration camps]].<ref name="Microcosm_395">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395</ref> By 1939 the city, as a German city until 1945, was naturally almost entirely [[Germanisation#Germanization during the Second World War|Germanised]]; in other words, [[ethnic cleansing|ethnically cleansed]].<ref name="Microcosm_394">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 394</ref>

As the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Red Army]] approached the city in February 1945, Breslau was declared a ''[[German WWII strongholds|Festung]]'' (fortress) by the fanatical Nazi [[Gauleiter]] [[Karl Hanke]], and concentration camp prisoners were [[slave labour|forced]] to help civilian workers build fortifications.

In one area, the population was ordered to construct a military airfield intended for use in resupplying the fortress, and a modern residential district, along the Kaiserstraße (now [[Plac Grunwaldzki]])—was razed. The authorities threatened to shoot as a deserter anyone who refused to do their assigned work, and one eyewitness estimated that some 13,000 died under enemy fire on the airfield alone.{{Verify source|date=June 2007}} In the end, one of the few planes to use it was that of the fleeing Gauleiter Hanke.<ref name="Microcosm_31">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 31</ref>

When it was almost too late, Hanke finally lifted a ban on the evacuation of women and children, but during his poorly organised evacuation in early March, around 18,000 froze to death, mostly children and babies, in icy snowstorms and -20°C weather. Some 200,000 civilians—less than a third of the pre-war population—remained in the city, because the railway connections to the west were damaged or overloaded.


As the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Red Army]] approached the city in February 1945, Breslau was declared a ''[[German WWII strongholds|Festung]]'' (fortress) by the fanatical Nazi [[Gauleiter]], [[Karl Hanke]]. Concentration camp prisoners were [[slave labour|forced]] to help build new fortifications. In one area, the workers were ordered to construct a military airfield intended for use in resupplying the fortress, while the entire residential district along the Kaiserstraße (now [[Plac Grunwaldzki]]) was razed. The authorities threatened to shoot as a deserter anyone who refused to do their assigned labour. Eyewitnesses estimated that some 13,000 died under enemy fire on the airfield alone. In the end, one of the very few planes that used it was that of the fleeing Gauleiter Hanke.<ref name="Microcosm_31">Davies, Moorhouse, p. 31</ref>
By the end of the [[Battle of Breslau (1945)|Battle of Breslau]], two-thirds of the city had been destroyed and 40,000 Breslauers and forced labourers lay dead in the ruins of their homes and factories. After a siege of nearly three months, the strategically unimportant "Fortress Breslau" surrendered on [[May 7]] [[1945]]. It was the last major city in [[historical Eastern Germany]] to fall.


Hanke finally lifted a ban on the evacuation of women and children, when it was almost too late. During his poorly organised evacuation in early March, around 18,000 people froze to death, mostly children and babies, in icy snowstorms and -20°C weather. Some 200,000 civilians—less than a third of the pre-war population—remained in the city, because the railway connections to the west were damaged or overloaded.
Along with almost all of Lower Silesia, post-war Breslau too came under Polish administration under the terms of the [[Potsdam Conference]]. Most remaining German inhabitants were [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled]] to one of the post-war German states between 1945 and 1949, and many of those not directly evacuated left later due to repression by Polish and Soviet communists{{Fact|date=June 2007}}<!--"Soviet communists"? The city was under the Polish control. And what was a role of revengers from the Polish population?--> or poverty. However, as with other Lower Silesian cities, a considerable German presence remained in Wrocław until the late 1950s; the city's last German school closed in 1963.


By the end of the [[Battle of Breslau (1945)]], two-thirds of the city had been destroyed and 40,000 inhabitants including forced labourers lay dead in the ruins of homes and factories. After a siege of nearly three months, the strategically unimportant "Fortress Breslau" surrendered on [[May 7]] [[1945]]. It was the last major city in [[historical Eastern Germany]] to fall.<ref>[http://www.wratislavia.net/festung.htm Festung Breslau (Wrocław Fortress) siege by the Soviet Army - photo gallery]</ref>
Wrocław was resettled by Poles either from small towns and villages of central Poland (75%) or from [[Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union]] in the east (25%), like Lwów (now [[Lviv]], [[Ukraine]]), Stanisławów (now [[Ivano-Frankivsk]], Ukraine), Wilno (now [[Vilnius]], [[Lithuania]]), and Grodno (now [[Hrodna]], [[Belarus]]).


Along with almost all of Lower Silesia, post-war Wrocław became part of Poland under the terms of the [[Potsdam Conference]]. Most remaining German inhabitants [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II|fled or were expelled]] to one of the two post-war German states between 1945 and 1949. However, as was the case with other Lower Silesian cities, a considerable German presence remained in Wrocław until the late 1950s; the city's last German school closed in 1963.
Gradually parts of the old city and most of the monumental buildings were restored<ref name="Thum">Thum, Breslau passim</ref>. Wrocław is now a unique European city in present-day Poland, with its architecture under [[Bohemia]]n, [[Austrian architecture|Austrian]], and [[Prussia]]n influence. Wrocław's [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style is originally Silesian; its [[Baroque]] style owes much to court builders of Habsburg Austria ([[Fischer von Erlach]], [[Christoph Tausch]]). Wrocław still has a number of buildings by eminent German [[modernism|modernist]] architects, such as [[Hans Poelzig]] and [[Max Berg]], the famous Jahrhunderthalle ([[Centennial Hall|Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall)]]) by Berg (1911–1913) being the most important.


Wrocław was resettled by [[Poles]] as part of postwar [[repatriation of Poles (1944–1946)]] (75%) or as the result of forced [[deportations]] from [[Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union]] in the east (25%) including from cities such as Lwów (now [[Lviv]], [[Ukraine]]), Stanisławów (now [[Ivano-Frankivsk]], Ukraine), Wilno (now [[Vilnius]], [[Lithuania]]), and Grodno (now [[Hrodna]], [[Belarus]]).
In July 1997, the city suffered from a flood of the Oder River, the worst flooding in post-war Poland. Nearly the entire city stood under water, leaving only a small region unaffected. In 2005, Wrocław was hit by a storm that felled a number of trees and killed three people. The storm was local and did not affect any other major cities.


Gradually parts of the old city and most of the monumental buildings were restored<ref name="Thum">Thum, Breslau passim</ref>. Wrocław is now a unique European city of mixed heritage, with architecture influenced by [[Bohemia]]n, [[Austrian architecture|Austrian]], and [[Prussia]]n traditions, such as Silesian [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] and its [[Baroque]] style of court builders of Habsburg Austria ([[Fischer von Erlach]]). Wrocław still has a number of buildings by eminent German [[modernism|modernist]] architects ([[Hans Poelzig]], [[Max Berg]]), famous [[Centennial Hall]] (''Hala Stulecia or Jahrhunderthalle'') by Berg (1911–1913) being one of its finest examples.
Some matches of the [[2012 UEFA European Football Championship|2012 UEFA European Football Championships]] in [[Poland]] and [[Ukraine]] are scheduled to take place in Wrocław.


In July 1997, the city suffered a flood of the Oder River, the worst flooding in post-war Poland. Nearly the entire city stood under water leaving only a small part unaffected.<ref>[http://miasta.gazeta.pl/wroclaw/5,44548,1501462.html 1997 great flood of Oder River - photo gallery]</ref> An earlier equally devastating flood of the river took place in 1903.<ref>[http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de/de/breslau/postcard/projektor/print.php?showId=1000 1903 great flood of the Oder river - photo gallery]</ref> In 2005, Wrocław was hit by a storm that fell a number of trees killing three. The storm was only local and did not affect any other neighbouring major cities.
=== 20th-century events ===
<small>External links with photo galleries, mostly in Polish</small>
* 1903 - [http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de/de/breslau/postcard/projektor/print.php?showId=1000 1903 great flood of Oder river]
* 1907 - "All-German Singing Meeting, 1907"
* 1913 - "100th Anniversary of Leipzig greater Battle Exhibition, 1913"
* 1937 - "All-German Singing Meeting"
* 1938 - "All-German Festival of Sports & Gymnastics" <small>(Internet Explorer only)</small>
* 1945 - [http://www.wratislavia.net/festung.htm Festung Breslau (Wrocław Fortress) siege by Soviet Army - photo gallery]
* 1948 - "[[Regained Territories Exhibition]]"
* 1997 - [http://miasta.gazeta.pl/wroclaw/5,44548,1501462.html 1997 great flood of Oder River - photo gallery]


=== Population ===
=== Historical populations ===
{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-color:#f2f2f4; margin-top:1px; margin-bottom:15px; font-size:90%" cellpadding="3"
{| width="90%" border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-color:#f2f2f4; margin-top:1px; margin-bottom:15px; font-size:90%" cellpadding="3"
! bgcolor="#EFEFEF"|Year
! bgcolor="#EFEFEF"|Year
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1800
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1800
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! bgcolor="#EFEFEF"|Year
! bgcolor="#EFEFEF"|Year
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1946 <ref>Immediately following [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II]]</ref>
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1946 <ref>Immediately following [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II]]</ref>
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1956 <ref>The surge in population is the result of [[Repatriation of Poles (1944–1946)]] and subsequent forced [[deportation]] of Poles living in [[Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union]]</ref>
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1956 <ref>The surge in population is the result of [[Repatriation of Poles (1944–1946)]] and the subsequent forced [[deportation]] of Poles living in [[Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union]]</ref>
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1960
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1960
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1967
|bgcolor="#F8F8F8"|1967
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== Administration ==
== Administration ==
[[Image:Breslau-rathaus.jpg|thumb|295px|right|City Hall built in a typical 14th century ''[[Brick Gothic]]'']]
[[Image:Wroclaw-AulaLeopoldina4.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''Aula Leopoldina''.]]
[[Image:UniwersytetWroclawski-Odra.jpg|thumb|295px|[[Wrocław University]].]]
[[Image:Wroclaw-WydzialArchitekturyPWrUlPrusa.jpg|thumb|295px|[[Wrocław University of Technology]].]]
[[Image:Grunwaldzki noca.jpg|thumb|300px|Grunwaldzki bridge.]]
[[Image:Poland Wrocław - Most Milenijny 3.jpg|thumb|300px|Millennium bridge.]]

Wrocław is the capital city of [[Lower Silesian Voivodeship]], a province ([[Voivodeships of Poland|voivodeship]]) created in 1999. It was previously the seat of [[Wrocław Voivodeship]]. The city is a separate urban [[gmina]] and city county ([[powiat]]). It is also the seat of [[Wrocław County]], which adjoins but does not include the city.
Wrocław is the capital city of [[Lower Silesian Voivodeship]], a province ([[Voivodeships of Poland|voivodeship]]) created in 1999. It was previously the seat of [[Wrocław Voivodeship]]. The city is a separate urban [[gmina]] and city county ([[powiat]]). It is also the seat of [[Wrocław County]], which adjoins but does not include the city.


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* [[St. Elisabeth's Church, Wrocław|St. Elisabeth's Church]]
* [[St. Elisabeth's Church, Wrocław|St. Elisabeth's Church]]
* [[Wrocław Palace]]
* [[Wrocław Palace]]

== Education ==
Today's Wrocław has ten state-run universities, including:
* [[Wrocław University]] ([http://www.uni.wroc.pl/ ''Uniwersytet Wrocławski'']) - over 47,000 students
* [[Wrocław University of Technology]] ([http://www.pwr.wroc.pl/ ''Politechnika Wrocławska'']) - over 40,000 students
* [[Wrocław Medical University]] ([http://www.am.wroc.pl/ ''Wrocławska Akademia Medyczna''])
* [[University School of Physical Education]]. ([http://www.awf.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego'']),
* [[Wrocław University of Economics]] ([http://www.ae.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Ekonomiczna im. Oskara Langego'']) - over 18,000 students
* [[Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences]] ([http://www.up.wroc.pl/ ''Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we Wrocławiu'']) - over 13,000 students
* [[Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław]] ([http://www.asp.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Sztuk Pięknych we Wrocławiu''])
* The [[Karol Lipiński University of Music]] ([http://www.amuz.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Muzyczna im. Karola Lipińskiego''])
* [[University School of Theatre]] (''Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna'')
* The [[Tadeusz Kościuszko Land Forces Military Academy]] ([http://www.wso.wroc.pl/ ''Wyższa Szkoła Oficerska Wojsk Lądowych''])
as well as numerous private institutions of higher education

== Economy and transport ==
Wrocław's major industries were traditionally the manufacture of railroad cars and electronics. The city is served by [[Wrocław International Airport]] and a [[river port]].

=== Major corporations ===
* Volvo Polska sp. z o.o., Wrocław
* WABCO Polska, Wrocław
* Siemens, Wrocław
* [[Nokia Siemens Networks]] Sp z o.o
* Hewlett Packard, Wrocław
* Google, Wrocław
* Grupa Lukas, Wrocław
* AB SA, Wrocław
* Polifarb Cieszyn-Wrocław SA, Wrocław
* KOGENERACJA S.A., Wrocław
* Impel SA, Wrocław
* Europejski Fundusz Leasingowy SA, Wrocław
* Telefonia Dialog SA, Wrocław
* [[TietoEnator]], Wrocław
* Wrozamet SA, Wrocław
* American Restaurants sp. z o.o., Wrocław
* Hutmen SA, Wrocław
* Fortum Wrocław S.A., Wrocław
* SAP Polska
* Hologram Industries Polska
* Zender sp. z o.o., Wrocław
* MSI (Micro Star International) Polska Sp. z o. o.

== Professional sports ==
[[Image:wroclaw rynek skating night small.jpg|thumb|left|[[Skating rink]] in ''Rynek'' (Market Square), December 2003.]]

The Wrocław area has many popular professional sports teams. The most popular sport today is probably [[basketball]], thanks to [[Śląsk Wrocław]], the award-winning men's basketball team (former Polish champions, 2nd-place in 2004). Some matches of the [[2012 UEFA European Football Championship|2012 UEFA European Football Championships]] in [[Poland]] and [[Ukraine]] are scheduled to take place in Wrocław.

=== Men's sports ===
* [[Śląsk Wrocław|ASCO Śląsk Wrocław]] - (previous names:ASCO Śląsk Wrocław, Bergson Śląsk Wrocław, Era Śląsk Wrocław, Deichmann Śląsk Wrocław, Idea Śląsk Wrocław, Zepter Idea Śląsk Wrocław, Zepter Śląsk Wrocław, Śląsk ESKA Wrocław, Śląsk Wrocław, CWKS Wrocław) men's [[basketball]] team, 17th Polish Champiion former Polish Champion, 2nd place 2004 in [[Era Basket Liga]]
* [[Śląsk Wrocław]] - men's [[Football in Poland|football]] team ([[Polish Championship in Football]] 1977; [[Polish Cup]] winner 1976, 1987; [[Polish SuperCup]] winner 1987) (2nd league from 2005 to 2007)
* [[Śląsk Wrocław (handball)|Śląsk Wrocław]] - men's [[Handball in Poland|handball]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[Atlas Wrocław]] - men's [[motorcycle speedway|speedway racing]] team (Champion in season 2006)
* [[Gwardia Wrocław]] - men's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] team ([[Polska Liga Siatkówki]] (PLS) in season 2003/2004)
* [[Gwardia Wrocław]] - men's [[boxing]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[Polar Wrocław]] - men's [[Football in Poland|football]] team (3rd league 2004/2005)
* [[KS Hefra Gwardia Wrocław]] - men's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] team playing in [[Polish Volleyball League]] (Polska Liga Siatkówki, PLS: Seria A in 2003/2004, Seria B in 2004/2005 season).

=== Women's sports ===
* [[ZEC ESV Gwardia Wrocław]]- women's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] team playing in [[Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League]]: 6th place in 2003/2004 season.
* [[AZS Wrocław]] - women's [[Football in Poland|football]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[AZS AWF Wrocław]] - women's [[Handball in Poland|handball]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[AZS AE Wrocław]] - women [[table tennis]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)


== Prominent residents==
== Prominent residents==
[[Image:Ortsnamen breslau 1900.jpg|thumb|295px|right|Breslau and surrounding villages (today: quarters of Wrocław) in 1900. <br><small>Source: [http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de].</small>]]

<small>''Including some who were not born in Wrocław/Breslau''</small>
<small>''Including some who were not born in Wrocław/Breslau''</small>
[[Image:Breslau-rathaus.jpg|thumb|300px|right|City Hall in 14th century ''[[Brick Gothic]]'' style typical of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and cities of the [[Hanseatic League]].]]
[[Image:Wroclaw-Katedra-3.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Cathedral in [[Ostrów Tumski]].]]
[[Image:Wroclaw-AulaLeopoldina4.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''Aula Leopoldina''.]]
<!--List alphabetically! -->
<!--List alphabetically! -->
* [[Alois Alzheimer]] — discoverer of [[Alzheimer's Disease]].
* [[Alois Alzheimer]] — discoverer of [[Alzheimer's Disease]].
Line 190: Line 232:
* [[Jerzy Grotowski]] — theatre director and theatrical avant-garde figure.
* [[Jerzy Grotowski]] — theatre director and theatrical avant-garde figure.
* [[Mirosław Hermaszewski]] — [[cosmonaut]].
* [[Mirosław Hermaszewski]] — [[cosmonaut]].
* [[Johann Heß]] - lutheran theologian, Protestant reformer of Breslau and Silesia
* [[Ludwik Hirszfeld]] — [[microbiology|microbiologist]], co-discover of the inheritance of the BO blood type.
* [[Ludwik Hirszfeld]] — [[microbiology|microbiologist]], co-discover of the inheritance of the BO blood type.
* [[Marek Hłasko]] — writer
* [[Marek Hłasko]] — novelist, writer
* [[Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau]] (1616-1679), Baroque poet
* [[Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau]] (1616-1679), Baroque poet
* [[Karl Eduard von Holtei]] (1798-1880) — poet and actor
* [[Karl Eduard von Holtei]] (1798-1880) — poet and actor
Line 237: Line 278:
* [[Max Born]] (1954)
* [[Max Born]] (1954)
* [[Reinhard Selten]] (1994)
* [[Reinhard Selten]] (1994)

== Education ==
[[Image:UniwersytetWroclawski-Odra.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Wrocław University]].]]
[[Image:Wroclaw-WydzialArchitekturyPWrUlPrusa.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Wrocław University of Technology]].]]

Today's Wrocław has ten state-run universities, including:
* [[Wrocław University]] ([http://www.uni.wroc.pl/ ''Uniwersytet Wrocławski'']) - over 47,000 students
* [[Wrocław University of Technology]] ([http://www.pwr.wroc.pl/ ''Politechnika Wrocławska'']) - over 40,000 students
* [[Wrocław Medical University]] ([http://www.am.wroc.pl/ ''Wrocławska Akademia Medyczna''])
* [[University School of Physical Education]]. ([http://www.awf.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego'']),
* [[Wrocław University of Economics]] ([http://www.ae.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Ekonomiczna im. Oskara Langego'']) - over 18,000 students
* [[Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences]] ([http://www.up.wroc.pl/ ''Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we Wrocławiu'']) - over 13,000 students
* [[Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław]] ([http://www.asp.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Sztuk Pięknych we Wrocławiu''])
* The [[Karol Lipiński University of Music]] ([http://www.amuz.wroc.pl/ ''Akademia Muzyczna im. Karola Lipińskiego''])
* [[University School of Theatre]] (''Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna'')
* The [[Tadeusz Kościuszko Land Forces Military Academy]] ([http://www.wso.wroc.pl/ ''Wyższa Szkoła Oficerska Wojsk Lądowych''])
as well as numerous private institutions of higher education

== Economy and transport ==
[[Image:Grunwaldzki noca.jpg|thumb|300px|Grunwaldzki bridge.]]
[[Image:Poland Wrocław - Most Milenijny 3.jpg|thumb|300px|Millennium bridge.]]

Wrocław's major industries were traditionally the manufacture of railroad cars and electronics. The city is served by [[Wrocław International Airport]] and a [[river port]].

=== Major corporations ===
* Volvo Polska sp. z o.o., Wrocław
* WABCO Polska, Wrocław
* Siemens, Wrocław
* [[Nokia Siemens Networks]] Sp z o.o
* Hewlett Packard, Wrocław
* Google, Wrocław
* Grupa Lukas, Wrocław
* AB SA, Wrocław
* Polifarb Cieszyn-Wrocław SA, Wrocław
* KOGENERACJA S.A., Wrocław
* Impel SA, Wrocław
* Europejski Fundusz Leasingowy SA, Wrocław
* Telefonia Dialog SA, Wrocław
* [[TietoEnator]], Wrocław
* Wrozamet SA, Wrocław
* American Restaurants sp. z o.o., Wrocław
* Hutmen SA, Wrocław
* Fortum Wrocław S.A., Wrocław
* SAP Polska
* Hologram Industries Polska
* Zender sp. z o.o., Wrocław
* MSI (Micro Star International) Polska Sp. z o. o.

== Professional sports ==
The Wrocław area has many popular professional sports teams. The most popular sport today is probably [[basketball]], thanks to [[Śląsk Wrocław]], the award-winning men's basketball team (former Polish champions, 2nd-place in 2004).

=== Men's sports ===
* [[Śląsk Wrocław|ASCO Śląsk Wrocław]] - (previous names:ASCO Śląsk Wrocław, Bergson Śląsk Wrocław, Era Śląsk Wrocław, Deichmann Śląsk Wrocław, Idea Śląsk Wrocław, Zepter Idea Śląsk Wrocław, Zepter Śląsk Wrocław, Śląsk ESKA Wrocław, Śląsk Wrocław, CWKS Wrocław) men's [[basketball]] team, 17th Polish Champiion former Polish Champion, 2nd place 2004 in [[Era Basket Liga]]
* [[Śląsk Wrocław]] - men's [[Football in Poland|football]] team ([[Polish Championship in Football]] 1977; [[Polish Cup]] winner 1976, 1987; [[Polish SuperCup]] winner 1987) (2nd league from 2005 to 2007)
* [[Śląsk Wrocław (handball)|Śląsk Wrocław]] - men's [[Handball in Poland|handball]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[Atlas Wrocław]] - men's [[motorcycle speedway|speedway racing]] team (Champion in season 2006)
* [[Gwardia Wrocław]] - men's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] team ([[Polska Liga Siatkówki]] (PLS) in season 2003/2004)
* [[Gwardia Wrocław]] - men's [[boxing]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[Polar Wrocław]] - men's [[Football in Poland|football]] team (3rd league 2004/2005)
* [[KS Hefra Gwardia Wrocław]] - men's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] team playing in [[Polish Volleyball League]] (Polska Liga Siatkówki, PLS: Seria A in 2003/2004, Seria B in 2004/2005 season).

=== Women's sports ===
* [[ZEC ESV Gwardia Wrocław]]- women's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] team playing in [[Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League]]: 6th place in 2003/2004 season.
* [[AZS Wrocław]] - women's [[Football in Poland|football]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[AZS AWF Wrocław]] - women's [[Handball in Poland|handball]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)
* [[AZS AE Wrocław]] - women [[table tennis]] team (1st league in season 2003/2004)

[[Image:wroclaw rynek skating night small.jpg|thumb|right|[[Skating rink]] in ''Rynek'' (Market Square), December 2003.]]


==Twin towns and partnerships==
==Twin towns and partnerships==
Line 319: Line 292:
Partnership:
Partnership:
* {{flagicon|France}} - [[Vienne]] department
* {{flagicon|France}} - [[Vienne]] department

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 337: Line 313:
* {{ cite book | first = Teresa | last = Kulak | title = "Wrocław" | publisher = Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie | isbn = 97873844728 | location = Wrocław | year = 2006 }}
* {{ cite book | first = Teresa | last = Kulak | title = "Wrocław" | publisher = Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie | isbn = 97873844728 | location = Wrocław | year = 2006 }}
* Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, Erster Theil: Breslauer Urkundenbuch. Breslau 1870
* Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, Erster Theil: Breslauer Urkundenbuch. Breslau 1870

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 20:03, 27 February 2008

"Breslau" redirects here. For other uses, see Breslau (disambiguation).
Wrocław
Main Square
Main Square
Flag of Wrocław
Flag
Coat of arms of Wrocław
Coat of arms
Motto: 
Miasto spotkań ("City of Meetings")
Country Poland
VoivodeshipLower Silesian
Countycity county
Established10th century
City rights1262
Government
 • MayorRafał Dutkiewicz
Area
 • City
292.82 km2 (113.06 sq mi)
Elevation
111 m (364 ft)
Population
 (2007)
 • City
689,280
 • Density2,400/km2 (6,100/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,030,000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
50-041 to 54-612
Area code+48 71
Car platesDW
Websitehttp://www.wroclaw.pl

Wrocław Template:Audio-IPA-pl (Template:Lang-cz; Template:Lang-de ⓘ; Template:Lang-hu; Template:Lang-it; Template:Lang-la; Template:Lang-lv; Template:Lang-lt; Template:Lang-sk) is the chief city of the historical region of Lower Silesia in south-western Poland, situated on the Oder (Template:Lang-pl) river. Since 1999 it has been the capital of Lower Silesian Voivodeship. According to official population figures for 2006, its population is 635,280, making it the fourth largest city in Poland.

Etymology

The city's name was first recorded in the year 1000 by Thietmar's Latin chronicle called Thietmari Merseburgensis episcopi Chronicon as Wrotizlawa. The first municipal seal stated Sigillum civitatis Wratislavie. Simplified name is given in 1175 as Wrezlaw, Prezla or Breslaw.

Early records show that the medieval city's name was Vratislav in Czech and Wrocisław in Polish. The Polish name was later phonetically simplified from Wrocisław to Wrotsław to Wrocław used since the 12th century. The Czech spelling was used in Latin documents as Wratislavia or Vratislavia, while the Polish pronunciation was also influential in the spelling Wracislavia. At that time, Prezla was used in Middle High German, which became Preßlau. In the middle of the 14th century the Early New High German (and later New High German) form of the name Breslau began to replace its earlier versions.

The city is traditionally believed to be named after Wrocisław or Vratislav, often believed to be Duke Vratislaus I of Bohemia. It is also possible that the city was named after the tribal duke of the Silesians or after an early ruler of the city called Vratislav. There is also another story which holds that the city was named after a Polish duke named Wrócisław, whose name means "he will return famous" in the old Polish language and in Czech. Naturally, the city's municipal website uses Breslau for the German-language version of the site.[1]

The city's name in various foreign languages include in Template:Lang-en, Template:Lang-hu, Template:Lang-it, Template:Lang-la or Wratislavia, Template:Lang-lt, Template:Lang-sk or Vroclav, Template:Lang-be (Vrotslai), Template:Lang-el (Vrotslav), Template:Lang-ru (Vrotslav); also Бреславль (Breslavl), Template:Lang-sror Vroclav and Template:Lang-uk (Vrotslav). Names of Wrocław in other languages are also available.

History

Town square

The city of Wrocław originated as a stronghold situated at a long-existing trading route to Greater Moravia and Bohemia. The city was first recorded in the 10th century as Vratislavia, possibly derived from the name of the Bohemian duke Vratislav I who died in 921. The history of the city begins at the end of the 10th century under the Polish Piast dynasty. At that time the city bears the name of Vratislavia and is limited to district of Ostrów Tumski (the Cathedral Island).

Wrocław Cathedral in the oldest district of Ostrów Tumski

In the year 1000 king Boleslaw I of Poland established the first bishopric of Silesia there. The city quickly became a commercial center and expanded rapidly to the neighbouring Wyspa Piaskowa (Sand Island), and then to the left bank of the Odra river. In 1163 it became the capital of the duchy of Silesia. By 1139 two more settlements were built. One belonged to Governor Piotr Włostowic (a.k.a Piotr Włast Dunin, Piotr Włost, Peter Wlast; ca. 1080–1153) and was situated near his residence on the Olbina by the St. Vincent's Benedictine Abbey. The other settlement was founded on the left bank of the Oder River, near the present seat of the university. It was located on the trade route that lead from Leipzig and Liegnitz (Polish: Legnica) and followed through Opole, and Kraków to Kievan Rus'.

The city was devastated in 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Europe. The rebuilding included expansion of the Main Market Square (Rynek) and all surrounding areas. Decimated population was reinforced by many Germans who settled there. Soon the name Breslau appeared for the first time in written records. The new and rebuilt town was given Magdeburg rights in 1262 and, at the end of the 13th century joined the Hanseatic League. The Polish rulling dynasty remained in control of the region.

Wrocław historic City Hall

In 1289-1292 the Přemyslid King of Bohemia, Wenceslaus II, became Duke of Silesia, then also King of Poland. With John of Luxemburg and his son, Emperor Charles IV (and king of Bohemia), Silesia was united with Bohemia, but retained its separate Ius indigenatus. The first illustration of the city was published in the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. Documents of that time refered to the town by many variants of the name including Wratislaw, Bresslau and Presslau.

During much of the Middle Ages Wrocław was ruled by its dukes of the Silesian Piast dynasty. Although the city was not part of its principality, the Bishop of Breslau was a prince-bishop since Bishop Preczlaus of Pogarell (1341-1376) bought the Duchy of Grottkau from Duke Boleslaw of Brieg and added it to the episcopal territory of Neisse, after which the Bishops of Breslau had the titles of Prince of Neisse and Duke of Grottkau, and took precedence over the other Silesian rulers.

Plac Solny (Salt Market)

In 1335, it was incorporated with almost the entirety of Silesia into the Kingdom of Bohemia and was part of it until the 1740s; from 1526, it was ruled by the Empire's Habsburg dynasty. By this time the inhabitants of mixed Silesian, Bohemian, Moravian, and often of Polish ancestry, had become dominated by influx of German colonists and settlers throughout the centuries.
The overwhelming majority of the population became lutheran during the Protestant Reformation as did most of Lower Silesia, but they were forcibly suppressed during the Catholic Reformation by Jesuits working with the support of the Habsburg rulers.

After the death of the last Silesian Piast ruler, Georg Wihelm of Liegnitz Brieg in 1675, the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria inherited the city of Breslau. They resorted to forceful conversion of the city back to Catholicism. During the War of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s, most of Silesia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia's claims were derived from the agreement, rejected by the Habsburgs, between the Silesian Piast rulers of the duchy and the Hohenzollerns who secured the Prussian succession after the extinction of the Piasts.

Modern history

Town square and St. Elisabeth's Church
Hala Stulecia or Hala Ludowa (Centential, or People's Hall) (Ger.: Jahrhunderthalle) designed by the modernist architect Max Berg
Department Store designed in 1912 by Hans Poelzig
Wroclaw Central Train Station

After the demise of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Prussia, and the city, became a part of the German Confederation. In 1811 the Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität (Wrocław University) was re-established. In 1813 King Frederick William III of Prussia gave a speech in Breslau signalling Prussia's intent to join the Russian Empire against Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars. When the Prussian-led German Empire was created in 1871 during the process of Germany's unification, Breslau became the empire's sixth-largest city and a major industrial centre, notably of linen and cotton manufacture; its population more than tripled to over half a million between 1860 and 1910.

Due to increased ethnic tensions, in August 1920 during the pro-Polish Silesian Uprising, Germans devastated the local Polish school and burned the Polish library. In 1923 the city was a scene of antisemitic riots.[1] In 1933 the Gestapo began actions against Polish and Jewish students[2] who were issued special segregationist ID documents like those of Communists, Social Democrats, trade unionists, and other people deemed threats to the state. Notably, people were even arrested and beaten for using Polish in public.[3] In 1938 the Polish cultural centre (the Polish House) in Breslau was destroyed by the police,[2] and many of the city's 10,000 Jews were deported to pre-war concentration camps; those who remained were killed during the Nazi genocide of World War II. Most of the Polish elites also left during 1920s and 1930s while Polish leaders who remained were sent to German concentration camps.[2] By 1939 the city, as a German city until 1945, was naturally almost entirely Germanised; in other words, ethnically cleansed.[4]

As the Soviet Red Army approached the city in February 1945, Breslau was declared a Festung (fortress) by the fanatical Nazi Gauleiter, Karl Hanke. Concentration camp prisoners were forced to help build new fortifications. In one area, the workers were ordered to construct a military airfield intended for use in resupplying the fortress, while the entire residential district along the Kaiserstraße (now Plac Grunwaldzki) was razed. The authorities threatened to shoot as a deserter anyone who refused to do their assigned labour. Eyewitnesses estimated that some 13,000 died under enemy fire on the airfield alone. In the end, one of the very few planes that used it was that of the fleeing Gauleiter Hanke.[5]

Hanke finally lifted a ban on the evacuation of women and children, when it was almost too late. During his poorly organised evacuation in early March, around 18,000 people froze to death, mostly children and babies, in icy snowstorms and -20°C weather. Some 200,000 civilians—less than a third of the pre-war population—remained in the city, because the railway connections to the west were damaged or overloaded.

By the end of the Battle of Breslau (1945), two-thirds of the city had been destroyed and 40,000 inhabitants including forced labourers lay dead in the ruins of homes and factories. After a siege of nearly three months, the strategically unimportant "Fortress Breslau" surrendered on May 7 1945. It was the last major city in historical Eastern Germany to fall.[6]

Along with almost all of Lower Silesia, post-war Wrocław became part of Poland under the terms of the Potsdam Conference. Most remaining German inhabitants fled or were expelled to one of the two post-war German states between 1945 and 1949. However, as was the case with other Lower Silesian cities, a considerable German presence remained in Wrocław until the late 1950s; the city's last German school closed in 1963.

Wrocław was resettled by Poles as part of postwar repatriation of Poles (1944–1946) (75%) or as the result of forced deportations from Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union in the east (25%) including from cities such as Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), Stanisławów (now Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine), Wilno (now Vilnius, Lithuania), and Grodno (now Hrodna, Belarus).

Gradually parts of the old city and most of the monumental buildings were restored[7]. Wrocław is now a unique European city of mixed heritage, with architecture influenced by Bohemian, Austrian, and Prussian traditions, such as Silesian Gothic and its Baroque style of court builders of Habsburg Austria (Fischer von Erlach). Wrocław still has a number of buildings by eminent German modernist architects (Hans Poelzig, Max Berg), famous Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia or Jahrhunderthalle) by Berg (1911–1913) being one of its finest examples.

In July 1997, the city suffered a flood of the Oder River, the worst flooding in post-war Poland. Nearly the entire city stood under water leaving only a small part unaffected.[8] An earlier equally devastating flood of the river took place in 1903.[9] In 2005, Wrocław was hit by a storm that fell a number of trees killing three. The storm was only local and did not affect any other neighbouring major cities.

Historical populations

Year 1800 1831 1850 1852 1880 1900 1910 1925 1933 1939
Inhabitants 64,500 89,500 114,000 121,100 272,900 422,700 510,000 555,200 625,198 629,565
Year 1946 [10] 1956 [11] 1960 1967 1970 1975 1980 1990 1999 2003
Inhabitants 171,000 400,000 431,800 487,700 526,000 579,900 617,700 640,577 650,000 638,000

Administration

City Hall built in a typical 14th century Brick Gothic
Aula Leopoldina.
Wrocław University.
Wrocław University of Technology.
Grunwaldzki bridge.
File:Poland Wrocław - Most Milenijny 3.jpg
Millennium bridge.

Wrocław is the capital city of Lower Silesian Voivodeship, a province (voivodeship) created in 1999. It was previously the seat of Wrocław Voivodeship. The city is a separate urban gmina and city county (powiat). It is also the seat of Wrocław County, which adjoins but does not include the city.

Wrocław is subdivided into five boroughs (dzielnicas):

Main sights

Education

Today's Wrocław has ten state-run universities, including:

as well as numerous private institutions of higher education

Economy and transport

Wrocław's major industries were traditionally the manufacture of railroad cars and electronics. The city is served by Wrocław International Airport and a river port.

Major corporations

  • Volvo Polska sp. z o.o., Wrocław
  • WABCO Polska, Wrocław
  • Siemens, Wrocław
  • Nokia Siemens Networks Sp z o.o
  • Hewlett Packard, Wrocław
  • Google, Wrocław
  • Grupa Lukas, Wrocław
  • AB SA, Wrocław
  • Polifarb Cieszyn-Wrocław SA, Wrocław
  • KOGENERACJA S.A., Wrocław
  • Impel SA, Wrocław
  • Europejski Fundusz Leasingowy SA, Wrocław
  • Telefonia Dialog SA, Wrocław
  • TietoEnator, Wrocław
  • Wrozamet SA, Wrocław
  • American Restaurants sp. z o.o., Wrocław
  • Hutmen SA, Wrocław
  • Fortum Wrocław S.A., Wrocław
  • SAP Polska
  • Hologram Industries Polska
  • Zender sp. z o.o., Wrocław
  • MSI (Micro Star International) Polska Sp. z o. o.

Professional sports

File:Wroclaw rynek skating night small.jpg
Skating rink in Rynek (Market Square), December 2003.

The Wrocław area has many popular professional sports teams. The most popular sport today is probably basketball, thanks to Śląsk Wrocław, the award-winning men's basketball team (former Polish champions, 2nd-place in 2004). Some matches of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championships in Poland and Ukraine are scheduled to take place in Wrocław.

Men's sports

Women's sports

Prominent residents

Breslau and surrounding villages (today: quarters of Wrocław) in 1900.
Source: http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de.

Including some who were not born in Wrocław/Breslau

Nobel laureates

listed by year of award

Twin towns and partnerships

Twin towns:

Partnership:

Footnotes

  1. ^ Davies, Moorhouse, p. 396; van Rahden, Juden, p. 323-26
  2. ^ a b c Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395
  3. ^ Kulak, p. 252
  4. ^ Davies, Moorhouse, p. 394
  5. ^ Davies, Moorhouse, p. 31
  6. ^ Festung Breslau (Wrocław Fortress) siege by the Soviet Army - photo gallery
  7. ^ Thum, Breslau passim
  8. ^ 1997 great flood of Oder River - photo gallery
  9. ^ 1903 great flood of the Oder river - photo gallery
  10. ^ Immediately following Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II
  11. ^ The surge in population is the result of Repatriation of Poles (1944–1946) and the subsequent forced deportation of Poles living in Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union

See also

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

  • Encyklopedia Wrocławia. Wrocław 2001
  • Wrocław jego dzieje kultura. Warszawa 1978
  • G. Scheuermann. Das Breslau-Lexikon. Dülmen 1994
  • K.Maleczyński, M.Morelowski, A.Ptaszycka, Wrocław. Rozwój urbanistyczny. Warszawa 1956
  • W.Długoborski, J.Gierowski, K.Maleczyński, Dzieje Wrocławia do roku 1807., Warszawa 1958
  • Microcosm, Portrait of a Central European City, by Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse (Jonathan Cape, 2002) ISBN 0224062433 (ISBN 8324001727 – Polish translation)
  • Gregor Thum: Die Fremde Stadt Breslau 1945. Siedler, Berlin 2003. ISBN 3-88680-795-9 (Frankfurt (Oder), Univ., Diss., 2002)
  • Till van Rahden, Juden und andere Breslauer: Die Beziehungen zwischen Juden, Protestanten und Katholiken in einer deutschen Großstadt von 1860 bis 1925, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2000. ISBN 3-525-35732-X
  • Kulak, Teresa (2006). "Wrocław". Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie. ISBN 97873844728. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  • Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, Erster Theil: Breslauer Urkundenbuch. Breslau 1870
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