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"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 / Meeting Place
Wrocław (Poland)
Wrocław
Wrocław
Coordinates: 51°6′28″N 17°2′18″E / 51.10778, 17.03833
Country Flag of Poland Poland
Voivodeship Lower Silesian
County city county
Established 10th century
City rights 1262
Government
 - Mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz
Area
 - City 292. The Coat-of-arms of the City of Wrocław is divided into quarters A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Voivodeship The voivodeship or province (województwo has been a high-level Administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century Lower Silesian Voivodeship (also known as Lower Silesia Province or by its Polish name of województwo dolnośląskie {{IPA-pl|d|o|l|n|o|'|ś|l|ą|s|k|j|e}} A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County Rafał Dutkiewicz (born 1959, Mikstat) is the current mayor of the city of Wrocław, Poland (since 2002) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 82 km² (113. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 1 sq mi)
Elevation 111 m (364 ft)
Population (2007)
 - City 689,280
 - Density 2,353. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 9/km² (6,096. 7/sq mi)
 - Metro 1,030,000
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 50-041 to 54-612
Area code(s) +48 71
Car plates DW
Website: http://www.wroclaw.pl
Town square
Town square

Wrocław [ˈvrɔt​͡swaf] (Image:Ltspkr.png listen) (German: Breslau (Image:Ltspkr.png listen); Czech: Vratislav; Lithuanian: Vroclavas; Latin: Vratislavia or Wratislavia; Hebrew: ורוצלב; Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief city of the historical region of Lower Silesia in south-western Poland, situated on the Oder (Polish: Odra) river. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks In common with many Countries, Polish car number plates indicate the Region of Registration of the Vehicle encoded in the number plate The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Lower Silesia (Niederschlesien Silesia Inferior Dolny Śląsk is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Oder (known in Czech and Polish as Odra) is a River in Central Europe. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Before 1945 the city was part of Poland, Kingdom of Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, Germany, until it finally returned to Poland. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Kingdom of Bohemia (České království Königreich Böhmen Regnum Bohemiae was a country in Central Europe. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Since 1999 it has been the capital of Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Lower Silesian Voivodeship (also known as Lower Silesia Province or by its Polish name of województwo dolnośląskie {{IPA-pl|d|o|l|n|o|'|ś|l|ą|s|k|j|e}} According to official population figures for 2006, its population is 635,280, making it the fourth largest city in Poland.

Contents

Etymology

The city's name was first recorded in the year 1000 by Thietmar's Latin chronicle called Thietmari Merseburgensis episcopi Chronicon as Wrotizlawa. Thietmar ( Dietmar or Dithmar) of Merseburg ( July 25, 975 - December 1, 1018) was Bishop of Merseburg Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The first municipal seal stated Sigillum civitatis Wratislavie. Simplified name is given in 1175 as Wrezlaw, Prezla or Breslaw. The Czech spelling was used in Latin documents as Wratislavia or Vratislavia. At that time, Prezla was used in Middle High German, which became Preßlau. Middle High German (MHG German Mittelhochdeutsch) is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350 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. Early New High German (ENHG is a term for the period in the history of the German language, generally defined following Wilhelm Scherer, as the period 1350 New High German (NHG is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language.

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.

The city's name in various foreign languages include in English: Wroclaw, Hungarian: Boroszló, Italian: Breslavia, Latin: Vratislavia or Wratislavia, Hebrew: ורוצלב (Vrotsláv), Slovak: Vratislav or Vroclav, Belarusian: Уроцлаў (Vrotslai), Greek: Βρότσλαβ (Vrotslav), Russian: Вроцлав (Vrotslav); also Бреславль (Breslavl), Yiddish: ברעסלוי (Bréslaévy), Serbian: Вроцлавor Vroclav and Ukrainian: Вроцлав (Vrotslav). English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Names of Wrocław in other languages are also available. U V Vienna --> W Y Z

History

The city of Wrocław originated as a stronghold situated at a long-existing trading route to Greater Moravia and Bohemia. Great Moravia (see Name section was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe from the 9th century to the early 10th century Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the 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. Piast dynasty is the name used since the 17th century for Polish Royal Dynasty that ruled Poland from its beginnings as Duchy ruled by Mieszko At that time the city bears the name of Vratislavia and is limited to district of Ostrów Tumski (the Cathedral Island). Ostrów Tumski ("Cathedral Island" Dominsel in Wrocław, Poland, is the oldest part of Wrocław

Wrocław Cathedral in the oldest District of Ostrów Tumski
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. Ostrów Tumski ("Cathedral Island" Dominsel in Wrocław, Poland, is the oldest part of Wrocław The Archdiocese of Wrocław (Archidiecezja wrocławska Erzbistum Breslau Arcidiocesi di Breslavia Latin: Archidioecesis Vratislaviensis) is a Latin Rite Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people 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. The Oder (known in Czech and Polish as Odra) is a River in Central Europe. 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. Piotr Włostowic (c 1080&ndash1153 also known as Peter Wlast, Włost or Piotr Włast Dunin) from a Dunin family was a Silesian k. a Piotr Włast Dunin, Piotr Włost or Peter Wlast; ca. Polish surname Dunin originated with the 12th century with Piotr Wlast Dunin. 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. The Oder (known in Czech and Polish as Odra) is a River in Central Europe. It was located on the trade route that lead from Leipzig and Legnica) and followed through Opole, and Kraków to Kievan Rus'. This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong Legnica (Liegnitz is a City on the Kaczawa river in Lower Silesia in south-western Poland. Opole (Oppeln is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River (Odra Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan

The city was devastated in 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Europe. The Mongol invasions of Europe, under the leadership of Subutai, centered on the destruction of East Slavic principalities such as Kiev and Vladimir The rebuilding included expansion of the Main Market Square (Rynek) and all surrounding areas. Decimated population was reinforced by many Germans who settled there. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Soon the name Breslau appeared for the first time in written records. The new and rebuilt town adopted Magdeburg rights in 1262 and, at the end of the 13th century joined the Hanseatic League. Magdeburg Rights (Magdeburger Recht or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted with The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade The Polish ruling dynasty remained in control of the region. Piast dynasty is the name used since the 17th century for Polish Royal Dynasty that ruled Poland from its beginnings as Duchy ruled by Mieszko

Wrocław historic City Hall built in a typical 14th century Brick Gothic
Wrocław historic City Hall built in a typical 14th century Brick Gothic

In 1289-1292 the Přemyslid King of Bohemia, Wenceslaus II, became Duke of Silesia, then also King of Poland. Brick Gothic (Backsteingotik is a reduced style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around The Přemyslids ( Czech: Přemyslovci, Polish: Przemyślidzi, German: Premysliden) were a Czech royal dynasty which Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Wenceslaus II Premyslid (Václav II Wacław II Czeski September 27, 1271 &ndash June 21, 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278 - 1305 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. John the Blind ( Luxembourgish: Jang de Blannen; German: Johann der Blinde von Luxemburg Charles IV ( Czech: Karel IV, German: Karl IV, Hungarian: IV Károly; 14 May 1316 &ndash Ius indigenatus ( Latin for "right of local birth" is a Right which was from 15th to 18th century a requirement for people to hold office The first illustration of the city was published in the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. The Nuremberg Chronicle, written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, with a version in German translation by Georg Alt is one of the best documented early printed books Documents of that time referred 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. In accordance with the last will and testament of Poland's Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, Poland was upon his death divided into 4-5 hereditary provinces distributed among his Although the city was not part of the Duchy's principality, its bishop was known as the prince-bishop ever 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 (Neisse), after which the Bishops of Wrocław had the titles of Prince of Neisse and Dukes of Grottkau, taking precedence over the other Silesian rulers. A Prince-Bishop is a Bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more Secular principalities usually pre-existent titles of nobility Grodków ( is a town in Opole Voivodeship in Poland. It has 8709 inhabitants (2007 and lies 20 km south of Brzeg. Brzeg (Brieg is a Town in southwestern Poland with 38496 inhabitants ( 2004) situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship Nysa (Neisse or Neiße) is a Town in southwestern Poland on the Nysa Kłodzka river with 47545 inhabitants (2006 official estimate situated Bishops of Wrocław (Breslau Bishopric, Prince-Bishopric, and Archdiocese (see Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław for details

Plac Solny (Salt Market)
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. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the 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. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order

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. George William (Georg Wilhelm I Jerzy IV Wilhelm September 29 1660 &ndash November 21 1675) was the last duke of Liegnitz Habsburg Monarchy (alternatively Habsburg Empire) refers to the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich 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. The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748 involved nearly all the powers of Europe The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising 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
Town square and St. Elisabeth's Church
Centennial Hall in Wrocław*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Hall.
State Party Flag of Poland Poland
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv
Reference 1165
Region† Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 2006  (30th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.
Department Store designed in 1912 by Hans Poelzig
Department Store designed in 1912 by Hans Poelzig
Wroclaw Central Train Station
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 Wrocław (Breslau Poland, St Elizabeth's Church (Kościół św A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Hans Poelzig ( 30 April, 1869 Berlin &ndash June 14, 1936 Berlin) was a German architect painter and set The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to In 1811 the Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität (Wrocław University) was re-established. The University of Wrocław (Uniwersytet Wrocławski Universität Breslau Universitas Wratislaviensis is one of nine universities in Wrocław, Poland 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. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Early life The son of King Frederick William II of Prussia, Frederick William was born in Potsdam and became Crown Prince in 1786 when his father ascended The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions 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. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The unification of Germany took place on January 18, 1871, when Prussian Chief Minister Otto von Bismarck managed to unify a number of independent

Due to increased ethnic tensions, in August 1920 during the pro-Polish Silesian Uprising, Germans devastated the local Polish school and the Polish library. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The Silesian Uprisings (Aufstände in Oberschlesien Powstania śląskie were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians In 1923 the city was a scene of antisemitic riots. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility [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. The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming 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. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Most of the Polish elites also left during 1920s and 1930s while Polish leaders who remained were sent to German concentration camps. See also List of Nazi-German concentration camps, Extermination camp Prior to and during World War II, Nazi Germany under Hitler maintained [2]

Throughout most of World War II Breslau was not close to the fighting. The city became haven for refugees, swelling in population to nearly one million[4].

In February 1945 the Soviet Red Army approached the city. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Nazi Gauleiter Karl Hanke declared the city Festung Breslau (fortress). A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Karl August Hanke ( 24 August 1903 - 8 June 1945) was an official of the National Socialist German Workers Party ( Nazi Party or German strongholds during World War II ( Festung “ Fortresses were the selected towns and cities so designated by Adolf Hitler to resist the Allied offensives Concentration camp prisoners were forced to help build new fortifications. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another 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. Plac Grunwaldzki ( Grunwald Square, named for the Battle of Grunwald) is a large square and important transit point in Wrocław, Poland. The authorities threatened to shoot 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 1945, 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 as a consequence of German resistance to Red Army attacks. The Battle of Breslau, also known as the Siege of Breslau, was a three month long Siege of the city of Breslau in Lower Silesia, Germany 40,000 inhabitants including forced labourers lay dead in the ruins of homes and factories. After a siege of nearly three months, "Fortress Breslau" surrendered on May 7, 1945. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar It was one of the last major cities in Nazi Germany to fall. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers [6]

Along with almost all of Lower Silesia, post-war Wrocław became part of Poland under the terms of the Potsdam Conference. The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, Germany, from July 16, Most remaining German inhabitants fled or were expelled to one of the two post-war German states between 1945 and 1949. The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland after World War II was part of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans from Europe during and after World War II. 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.

The population of Wrocław was soon increased by resettlement of Poles forming part of postwar repatriation of Poles (1944–1946) (75%) as well as the 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). The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Repatriation of Polish population in the years of 1944–1946 (also known as the first repatriation, to contrast with the ''second repatriation'' in the years 1955–1959 Deportation, not to be confused with Extradition, generally means the expulsion of someone from a place or Country. After the Soviet invasion of Poland following the corresponding German invasion that marked the start of World War II in 1939 the Soviet Union annexed Lviv ( Ukrainian: Львів, L’viv, Lwów Lemberg Львов L'vov; see also other names) is a major city in western Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Ivano-Frankivsk (Івано-Франківськ is a historic city located in western Ukraine. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east

Gradually parts of the old city and most monumental buildings were restored,[7] with special attention given to symbols of Polish history and religion including Gothic churches. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Buildings damaged during the war were dismantled together with some already reconstructed houses, which were taken down in the 1950s during the Polish government's campaign called “bricks for Warsaw”,[8] providing much needed reconstruction material for the leveled out Old Town of the Polish capital. Warsaw's Old Town (Stare Miasto colloquially Starówka is the oldest historic district of the city During the reconstruction of the city some left-over buildings from Germanisation period were removed from the landscape of the city[9] while the Jewish cemetery was preserved.

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). Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc Fischer von Erlach links here For other uses see Fischer von Erlach (disambiguation. 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. Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Hans Poelzig ( 30 April, 1869 Berlin &ndash June 14, 1936 Berlin) was a German architect painter and set Max Berg ( 17 April 1870 - 22 January 1947) was a German Architect and urban planner. The Centennial Hall (Jahrhunderthalle Hala Stulecia or Hala Ludowa) is a historic building 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. [10] An earlier equally devastating flood of the river took place in 1903. [11]

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 [12] 1956 [13] 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

Post-modernist Arcades Complex opened in spring 2007, housing offices, cinemas, shopping malls and even a sharks' aquarium
Post-modernist Arcades Complex opened in spring 2007, housing offices, cinemas, shopping malls and even a sharks' aquarium
Aula Leopoldina.
Aula Leopoldina.
Wrocław University.
Wrocław University. The University of Wrocław (Uniwersytet Wrocławski Universität Breslau Universitas Wratislaviensis is one of nine universities in Wrocław, Poland
Wrocław University of Technology.
Wrocław University of Technology. Wrocław University of Technology (Politechnika Wrocławska founded as Technische Hochschule Breslau is an autonomous technical University in Wrocław, Poland
Grunwaldzki bridge.
Grunwaldzki bridge.
Millennium bridge.
Millennium bridge.

Wrocław is the capital city of Lower Silesian Voivodeship, a province (voivodeship) created in 1999. Lower Silesian Voivodeship (also known as Lower Silesia Province or by its Polish name of województwo dolnośląskie {{IPA-pl|d|o|l|n|o|'|ś|l|ą|s|k|j|e}} Voivodeship The voivodeship or province (województwo has been a high-level Administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century It was previously the seat of Wrocław Voivodeship. Wroclaw Voivodeship ( Polish: województwo wrocławskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975 &ndash 1998 The city is a separate urban gmina and city county (powiat). The gmina or Municipality (frequently translated commune) plural gminy, is the principal unit (lowest level of territorial division in Poland A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County It is also the seat of Wrocław County, which adjoins but does not include the city. Wrocław County (powiat wrocławski is a unit of territorial administration and local government ( Powiat) in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland

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 Wrocław University of Economics (Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wrocławiu is one of ten public universities located in Wrocław, The heritage of the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences is deeply rooted in the traditions of two instutitions founded in Lviv: The Faculty of Agriculture and Karol Lipiński University of Music (pol Akademia Muzyczna im The Tadeusz Kościuszko Land Forces Military Academy is a Polish Land Forces Military academy The city is served by Wrocław International Airport and a river port. Copernicus Airport Wrocław (Port Lotniczy Wrocław im Mikołaja Kopernika is an international commercial Airport in Wrocław in southwestern Poland ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo

Major corporations

Professional sports

Skating rink in Rynek (Market Square), December 2003.
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). Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Śląsk Wrocław, pron ˈɕlɔ̃sk ˈvrɔʦwaf is a football club from Wrocław, Poland. Some matches of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championships in Poland and Ukraine are scheduled to take place in Wrocław. The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe.

Men's sports

Women's sports

Prominent residents

Breslau and surrounding villages (today: quarters of Wrocław) in 1900. Source: http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de.
Breslau and surrounding villages (today: quarters of Wrocław) in 1900. In Poland, Football (soccer is the most popular sport. Over 400000 Poles play football regularly while millions more Handball is a popular Team sport in Poland. Polish Seria A Handball League Polish Seria B Handball League
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:

References

  1. ^ Davies, Moorhouse, p. 396; van Rahden, Juden, p. 323-26
  2. ^ a b c Davies, Moorhouse, p. 395
  3. ^ Kulak, p. 252
  4. ^ History of Wrocław
  5. ^ Davies, Moorhouse, p. 31
  6. ^ Festung Breslau (Wrocław Fortress) siege by the Soviet Army - photo gallery
  7. ^ Thum, Breslau passim.
  8. ^ Tyszkiewicz, Jakub ”Jak rozbierano Wroclaw” in Odra 1999/9, p 17 – 21.
  9. ^ Wlodzimierz Kalicki, Breslau - das Zuhause von Pawel und Malgorzata Transdora 17, October 1997. German: Agnieszka Pufelska, from Polish Gazeta Wyborcza 8 (Nr. 36 (132). September 1995.
  10. ^ 1997 great flood of Oder River - photo gallery
  11. ^ 1903 great flood of the Oder river - photo gallery
  12. ^ Immediately following Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II
  13. ^ 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

General References

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland after World War II was part of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans from Europe during and after World War II. Repatriation of Polish population in the years of 1944–1946 (also known as the first repatriation, to contrast with the ''second repatriation'' in the years 1955–1959 Deportation, not to be confused with Extradition, generally means the expulsion of someone from a place or Country. After the Soviet invasion of Poland following the corresponding German invasion that marked the start of World War II in 1939 the Soviet Union annexed The Archdiocese of Wrocław (Archidiecezja wrocławska Erzbistum Breslau Arcidiocesi di Breslavia Latin: Archidioecesis Vratislaviensis) is a Latin Rite Lower Silesia (Niederschlesien Silesia Inferior Dolny Śląsk is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia

External links

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