Apparently he came from another one of those mixed German-Polish families of that part of Europe, although Warsaw was part of Russia when I BELIEVE my grandfather was born there (all I have seen is my father's birth certificate and it gives my grandfather's "country of origin" as Germany, but I think that just meant that he came from Germany to the U.S. when very young..apparently in his early teens. I know he preferred to speak Polish than German, for what that is worth. I think he considered himself Polish and I know he had some relatives who were definitely so, such as my cousin Jackie Beshinski whom I had never met until she popped up at my brother's wedding-- because she lived near Chillicothe, Ohio, where it was held. She was an extremely attractive redhead who seemed to feel out of place and I was completely charmed with her...I wonder where she is now.
My father and his family were never much help because they were of a generation of people who on the whole considered European origins totally irrelevant to their own live's narratives of overcoming early poverty ( my father's sister told me once my father's tales of being a poor child were wildly exaggerated-- of a childhood paper route," his father took him out in the car when it was raining heavily"). Oh, yeah, my father admits they had a car but also seemed always to wish people like his sister wouldn't talk to me and give me a story that contradicted HIS). ( I think a lot of Americans know this is as "the I walked ten miles in the snow to school" kind of story).
One tantalizing bit of evidence (besides boxes of old photos, with no captions on them, that got thrown out along the way) was a tape recording my father made of my six year old sister talking to her grandmother all about family history..a tape that was lost of course...my sister says all she can remember was that my grandmother said my grandather was from "Russian Poland" and that her childhood--it sounded to my sister like the town mentioned was something closer to "Koenig" than Posen --but my one cousin (much older than me) knew them all much better than I did and gave me most of my information.
By the way, I tried the Ellis Island records and they were of no help whatsoever. I believe they don't go back far enough to catch when my grandfather first came here even though they should
I know also he had relatives who spelled the name differently-- Cregar, Cregier, Creager etc. but a lot of help that is.
My grandfather would tell me stories about his exploits as a young man and I remember my grandmother calling in from the next room " Oh, don't tell him a bunch of nonsense."
His temper got him fired from a couple of good jobs he had, one where he was doing extremely well with the Metropolitan Life Insurance company -- which he quit in a huff when he was passed over for some big promotion in the booming 1920's.
Maybe times were good for most people, but this proved to be a real miscalculation on his part...finally he became an optometrist with the help of his wife's brother. ( My grandfather hated his wife's family on the whole , labeling them as " counts of no account" and really insufferable meddlers and busybodies.)
He once moved deliberately to the far side of Buffalo, NY and then to Chicago to get away from his wife's family.
He had two children eleven years apart, the older one a daughter who gave up a promising career (almost) as a pianist to elope with a young Mr. Hoppe, who was reliably employed by a bank and whose family's German ( they were from near Berlin) she could not understand-- "Low German" she called it and not the High German she knew and had studied in school.
My grandfather was a Catholic but not a very devout one and when my father announced at age 14 he was quitting the Church because he they were forcing him to take special religious instruction ( he had joined the neighborhood secular Boy Scout troop instead of a Catholic one)--there was just passive acceptance just as there had been with Hoppe's Lutheranism.
Now, I have always been of the suspicion that my grandfather's family might have originally been Jewish, but with his lack of believability and other people's memories so misty by the time I asked them, and with all the records of that part of the World so completely destroyed in many cases, no one will ever know.
He certainly welcomed my father's Jewish friends into their home including my father's first business partner, who, as a blond blue eyed young man , was always amused when people told him " You're OK, Gross, but that Jewish partner of yours, Kreger, I don't know about him."
The only other clue I have is from my father's cousin, who admits they never really cared much for my father's father on my my paternal grandmother's side of the family and that was that.
So we go to that place that has had such a violent and tragic history because we don't know where else to go.
Warsaw
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Polish capital. For other uses, see Warsaw (disambiguation).
"Warszawa" redirects here. For other uses, see Warszawa (disambiguation).
For the similarly named river, see Wąsawa.
| Warsaw Warszawa |
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| Capital City of Warsaw Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa |
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      Left to right: Warsaw panorama • Royal Castle • Łazienki Palace Ostrogski Palace • Old Town Market Square • Wilanów Palace |
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| Motto: Semper invicta (Latin "Ever Invincible") | |||
Warsaw
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| Coordinates: 52°14′N 21°1′E | |||
| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship | Masovian | ||
| County | city county | ||
| City rights | turn of the 12th to 13th century | ||
| Boroughs | |||
| Government | |||
| • President | Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 517.24 km2 (199.71 sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 4,222.79 km2 (1,630.43 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 78–116 m (328 ft) | ||
| Population (31 December 2011) | |||
| • City | 1,711,491[1] | ||
| • Density | 3,304/km2 (8,560/sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 2,666,278 | ||
| • Metro density | 631.4/km2 (1,635/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Varsovian | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 00-001 to 04–999 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 22 | ||
| Car | WA, WB, WD, WE, WF, WH, WI, WJ, WK, WN, WT, WU, WW, WX, WY | ||
| Website | warszawa.pl | ||
); see also other names), is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the Baltic Sea and 300 kilometres (190 mi) from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population is estimated at 1.711 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 2.666 million residents, making Warsaw the 9th most populous city proper in the European Union.[1][2][3] The area of the city
covers 516.9 square kilometres (199.6 sq mi), while the city's
agglomeration covers 6,100.43 square kilometres (2,355.39 sq mi).[4]Warsaw is an Alpha– global city, a major international tourist destination and an important economic hub in Central Europe.[5][6][7] It is also known as the "phoenix city" because it has survived so many wars throughout its history. Most notably, the city had to be painstakingly rebuilt after the extensive damage it suffered in World War II, during which 85% of its buildings were destroyed.[8][9] On 9 November 1940 the city was awarded Poland's highest military decoration for heroism, the Virtuti Militari, during the Siege of Warsaw (1939).[10][11]
The Warszawianka is widely considered the unofficial anthem of the city.[12]
Contents
- 1 Etymology and names
- 2 History
- 3 Geography
- 4 Demographics
- 5 Municipal government
- 6 Politics
- 7 Transport
- 8 Infrastructure
- 9 Religion
- 10 Leisure activities
- 11 Culture
- 12 Education
- 13 Economy
- 14 Tourist attractions
- 15 Famous people
- 16 Rankings
- 17 International relations
- 18 Varieties
- 19 See also
- 20 References
- 21 External links
Etymology and names
Warsaw's name in the Polish language is Warszawa - pronounced Varshava - (also formerly spelled Warszewa and Warszowa), means "belonging to Warsz", Warsz being a shortened form of the masculine name of Slavic origin Warcisław; see also etymology of Wrocław.[13] Folk etymology attributes the city name to a fisherman Wars and his wife Sawa. According to legend, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula River with whom Wars fell in love.[14] Actually, Warsz was a 12th/13th-century nobleman who owned a village located at the site of today's Mariensztat neighbourhood.[15] The official city name in full is miasto stołeczne Warszawa (English: "The Capital City of Warsaw").[16] A native or resident of Warsaw is known as a Varsovian - in Polish Warszawiak (male), Warszawianka (female), Warszawiacy (plural).Other names for Warsaw include Varsovia (Latin and Spanish), Varsovie (French), Warschau (German and Dutch), װאַרשע/Varshe (Yiddish), Варшава/Varshava (Russian, Bulgarian, Belorussian, Ukrainian), Varšava, (Slovenian) Varšuva (Lithuanian), Varşova (Turkish), 'Vársa' (Irish).
For the name of Warsaw in various languages, see wikt:Warsaw.
History
Main article: History of Warsaw
Early history
16th to 18th centuries
In 1529 Warsaw for the first time became the seat of the General Sejm, permanent from 1569.[18] In 1573 the city gave its name to the Warsaw Confederation, formally establishing religious freedom in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Due to its central location between the Commonwealth's capitals of Kraków and Vilnius, Warsaw became the capital of the Commonwealth and the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland when King Sigismund III Vasa moved his court from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596.[18]In the following years the town expanded towards the suburbs. Several private independent districts were established, the property of aristocrats and the gentry, which were ruled by their own laws. Three times between 1655–1658 the city was under siege and three times it was taken and pillaged by the Swedish, Brandenburgian and Transylvanian forces.[18][19]
In 1700, the Great Northern War broke out. The city was besieged several times and was obliged to pay heavy contributions.[17] Warsaw turned into an early-capitalistic principal city.
Stanisław August Poniatowski, who remodelled the interior of the Royal Castle, also made Warsaw a centre of culture and the arts.[20][21] This earned Warsaw the name of the Paris of the east.[22]
19th and 20th centuries
Warsaw remained the capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1796, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia to become the capital of the province of South Prussia. Liberated by Napoleon's army in 1806, Warsaw was made the capital of the newly created Duchy of Warsaw.[18] Following the Congress of Vienna of 1815, Warsaw became the centre of the Congress Poland, a constitutional monarchy under a personal union with Imperial Russia.[18] The Royal University of Warsaw was established in 1816.
Warsaw flourished in the late 19th century under Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1875–92), a Russian-born general appointed by Tsar Alexander III. Under Starynkiewicz Warsaw saw its first water and sewer systems designed and built by the English engineer William Lindley and his son, William Heerlein Lindley, as well as the expansion and modernisation of trams, street lighting and gas works.[18]
The Russian Empire Census of 1897 recorded 626,000 people living in Warsaw, making it the third-largest city of the Empire after St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Capital of Second Polish Republic: 1918–39
| “ | The history of contemporary civilisation knows no event of greater importance than the Battle of Warsaw, 1920, and none of which the significance is less appreciated. | ” |
World War II
The Germans then razed Warsaw to the ground. Hitler, ignoring the agreed terms of the capitulation, ordered the entire city to be razed to the ground and the library and museum collections taken to Germany or burned.[34] Monuments and government buildings were blown up by special German troops known as Verbrennungs- und Vernichtungskommando ("Burning and Destruction Detachments").[34] About 85% of the city had been destroyed, including the historic Old Town and the Royal Castle.[37]
On 17 January 1945 – after the beginning of the Vistula–Oder Offensive of the Red Army – Soviet troops entered the ruins of Warsaw, and liberated Warsaw's suburbs from German occupation. The city was swiftly taken by the Soviet Army, which rapidly advanced towards Łódź, as German forces regrouped at a more westward position.
Recent times
After the war, under a Communist regime set up by the conquering Soviets, the "Bricks for Warsaw" campaign was initiated, and large prefabricated housing projects were erected in Warsaw to address the housing shortage, along with other typical buildings of an Eastern Bloc city, such as the Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from the Soviet Union. The city resumed its role as the capital of Poland and the country's centre of political and economic life. Many of the historic streets, buildings, and churches were restored to their original form. In 1980, Warsaw's historic Old Town was inscribed onto UNESCO's World Heritage list.[38]
John Paul II's visits to his native country in 1979 and 1983 brought support to the budding solidarity movement and encouraged the growing anti-communist fervor there.[39] In 1979, less than a year after becoming pope, John Paul celebrated Mass in Victory Square in Warsaw and ended his sermon with a call to "renew the face" of Poland: Let Thy Spirit descend! Let Thy Spirit descend and renew the face of the land! This land![39] These words were very meaningful for the Polish citizens who understood them as the incentive for the democratic changes.[39]
In 1995, the Warsaw Metro opened. With the entry of Poland into the European Union in 2004, Warsaw is currently experiencing the biggest economic boom of its history.[40] The opening fixture of UEFA Euro 2012 took place in Warsaw, a game in which the co-hosts Poland, drew 1-1 with Greece.[41]
Geography
Location and topography
Warsaw is located on two main geomorphologic formations: the plain moraine plateau and the Vistula Valley with its asymmetrical pattern of different terraces. The Vistula River is the specific axis of Warsaw, which divides the city into two parts, left and right. The left one is situated both on the moraine plateau (10 to 25 m (32.81 to 82.02 ft) above Vistula level) and on the Vistula terraces (max. 6.5 m (21.33 ft) above Vistula level). The significant element of the relief, in this part of Warsaw, is the edge of moraine plateau called Warsaw Escarpment. It is 20 to 25 m (65.62 to 82.02 ft) high in the Old Town and Central district and about 10 m (32.81 ft) in the north and south of Warsaw. It goes through the city and plays an important role as a landmark.
The plain moraine plateau has only a few natural and artificial ponds and also groups of clay pits. The pattern of the Vistula terraces is asymmetrical. The left side consist mainly of two levels: the highest one contains former flooded terraces and the lowest one the flood plain terrace. The contemporary flooded terrace still has visible valleys and ground depressions with water systems coming from the Vistula old – riverbed. They consist of still quite natural streams and lakes as well as the pattern of drainage ditches. The right side of Warsaw has a different pattern of geomorfological forms. There are several levels of the plain Vistula terraces (flooded as well as former flooded once) and only small part and not so visible moraine escarpment. Aeolian sand with a number of dunes parted by peat swamps or small ponds cover the highest terrace. These are mainly forested areas (pine forest).
Climate
Warsaw's climate is humid continental (Köppen: Dfb) with cold winters and warm summers, on the border with an oceanic Cfb climate. The average temperature is −3.0 °C (27 °F) in January and 19.3 °C (66.7 °F) in July. Temperatures may often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer. Yearly rainfall averages 495 millimetres (19.5 in), wettest month being July. Spring and Autumn are usually beautiful seasons, the former crisp and sunny and full of blooms and the latter alternately sunny and misty, and cool but not cold.| [hide]Climate data for Warsaw | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.5 (54.5) |
15.9 (60.6) |
23.3 (73.9) |
29.1 (84.4) |
32.7 (90.9) |
34.8 (94.6) |
36.0 (96.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
26.1 (79) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.1 (61) |
37.0 (98.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) |
0.9 (33.6) |
4.7 (40.5) |
12.2 (54) |
19.4 (66.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.0 (73.4) |
18.3 (64.9) |
12.9 (55.2) |
5.0 (41) |
2.1 (35.8) |
12.0 (53.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3 (27) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
17.6 (63.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
14.0 (57.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −6.1 (21) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
4.2 (39.6) |
8.6 (47.5) |
13.5 (56.3) |
14.8 (58.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
9.7 (49.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
4.4 (39.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30.7 (−23.3) |
−30.4 (−22.7) |
−23.5 (−10.3) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
0.3 (32.5) |
4.2 (39.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−9 (16) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−27.4 (−17.3) |
−30.7 (−23.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 21 (0.83) |
25 (0.98) |
24 (0.94) |
33 (1.3) |
44 (1.73) |
62 (2.44) |
73 (2.87) |
63 (2.48) |
42 (1.65) |
37 (1.46) |
38 (1.5) |
33 (1.3) |
495 (19.49) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 159 |
| % humidity | 81 | 82 | 78 | 71 | 67 | 68 | 72 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 80 | 86 | 76 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 43 | 59 | 115 | 150 | 211 | 237 | 226 | 214 | 153 | 99 | 39 | 25 | 1,571 |
| Source: [43] | |||||||||||||
Districts
Until 1994, there were 7 districts in Warsaw: Śródmieście, Praga Północ, Praga Południe, Żoliborz, Wola, Ochota, Mokotów. Between 1994 and 2002, there were 11 districts: Centrum, Białołęka, Targówek, Rembertów, Wawer, Wilanów, Ursynów, Włochy, Ursus, Bemowo, Bielany. In 2002, the town Wesoła was incorporated and the territorial division of Warsaw was established as follows:| District | Population | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Mokotów | 220,682 | 35.4 km2 (13.7 sq mi) |
| Praga Południe | 178,665 | 22.4 km2 (8.6 sq mi) |
| Ursynów | 145,938 | 48.6 km2 (18.8 sq mi) |
| Wola | 137,519 | 19.26 km2 (7.44 sq mi) |
| Bielany | 132,683 | 32.3 km2 (12.5 sq mi) |
| Targówek | 123,278 | 24.37 km2 (9.41 sq mi) |
| Śródmieście | 122,646 | 15.57 km2 (6.01 sq mi) |
| Bemowo | 115,873 | 24.95 km2 (9.63 sq mi) |
| Białołęka | 96,588 | 73.04 km2 (28.20 sq mi) |
| Ochota | 84,990 | 9.7 km2 (3.7 sq mi) |
| Wawer | 69,896 | 79.71 km2 (30.78 sq mi) |
| Praga Północ | 69,510 | 11.4 km2 (4.4 sq mi) |
| Ursus | 53,755 | 9.35 km2 (3.61 sq mi) |
| Żoliborz | 48,342 | 8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi) |
| Włochy | 38,075 | 28.63 km2 (11.05 sq mi) |
| Wilanów | 23,960 | 36.73 km2 (14.18 sq mi) |
| Rembertów | 23,280 | 19.30 km2 (7.45 sq mi) |
| Wesoła | 22,811 | 22.6 km2 (8.7 sq mi) |
| Total | 1,708,491[1] | 521.81 km2 (201.47 sq mi) |
Cityscape
Overview
Warsaw's mixture of architectural styles reflects the turbulent history of the city and country. During WWII, Warsaw was razed to the ground by bombing raids and planned destruction.[34] After liberation, rebuilding began as in other cities of the communist-ruled PRL. Most of the historical buildings were thoroughly reconstructed. However, some of the buildings from the 19th century that had been preserved in reasonably reconstructible form were nonetheless eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s (e.g. Leopold Kronenberg Palace).[46] Mass residential blocks were erected, with basic design typical of Eastern bloc countries.Public spaces attract heavy investment, so that the city has gained entirely new squares, parks and monuments. Warsaw's current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture.[47]
Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Warsaw
Warsaw's palaces, churches
and mansions display a richness of color and architectural details.
Buildings are representatives of nearly every European architectural
style and historical period. The city has wonderful examples of architecture from the gothic, renaissance, baroque and neoclassical periods, all of which are located within easy walking distance of the town centre.
Notable examples of contemporary architecture include the Palace of Culture and Science (1952–1955), a Soc-realist skyscraper located in the city centre, and the Constitution Square with its monumental Socialist realism architecture (MDM estate).[51] The central part of the right-bank (east) Praga borough it is a place where very run-down houses stand right next to modern apartment buildings and shopping malls.
Modern architecture in Warsaw is represented by the Metropolitan Office Building at Pilsudski Square by Lord Foster,[52] Warsaw University Library (BUW) by Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski, featuring a garden on its roof and view of the Vistula River, Rondo 1 office building by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Golden Terraces, consisting of seven overlapping domes retail and business centre.
It has been said that Warsaw, together with Frankfurt, London, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul and Rotterdam is one of the tallest cities in Europe.[53] Warsaw is ranked as 48th in the List of cities with the most skyscrapers around the world.[54]
Flora and fauna
Greenspace covers 25% of the surface area of Warsaw,[55] including a broad range of greenstructures, from small neighborhood parks, green spaces along streets and in courtyards, trees and avenues to large historic parks, nature conservation areas and the urban forests at the fringe of the city.
The Saxon Garden, covering the area of 15.5 ha, was formally a royal garden. There are over 100 different species of trees and the avenues are a place to sit and relax. At the east end of the park, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is situated. In the 19th century the Krasiński Palace Garden was remodelled by Franciszek Szanior. Within the central area of the park one can still find old trees dating from that period: maidenhair tree, black walnut, Turkish hazel and Caucasian wingnut trees. With its benches, flower carpets, a pond with ducks on and a playground for kids, the Krasiński Palace Garden is a popular strolling destination for the Varsovians. The Monument of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is also situated here. The Łazienki Park covers the area of 76 ha. The unique character and history of the park is reflected in its landscape architecture (pavilions, sculptures, bridges, cascades, ponds) and vegetation (domestic and foreign species of trees and bushes). What makes this park different from other green spaces in Warsaw is the presence of peacocks and pheasants, which can be seen here walking around freely, and royal carps in the pond. The Wilanów Palace Park, dates back to the second half of the 17th century. It covers the area of 43 ha. Its central French-styled area corresponds to the ancient, baroque forms of the palace. The eastern section of the park, closest to the Palace, is the two-level garden with a terrace facing the pond. The park around the Królikarnia Palace is situated on the old escarpment of the Vistula. The park has lanes running on a few levels deep into the ravines on both sides of the palace.
The flora of the city may be considered very rich in species. The species richness is mainly due to the location of Warsaw within the border region of several big floral regions comprising substantial proportions of close-to-wilderness areas (natural forests, wetlands along the Vistula) as well as arable land, meadows and forests. Bielany Forest, located within the borders of Warsaw, is the remaining part of the Masovian Primeval Forest. Bielany Forest nature reserve is connected with Kampinos Forest.[60] It is home to rich fauna and flora. Within the forest there are three cycling and walking trails. Other big forest area is Kabaty Forest by the southern city border. Warsaw has also two botanic gardens: by the Łazienki park (a didactic-research unit of the University of Warsaw) as well as by the Park of Culture and Rest in Powsin (a unit of the Polish Academy of Science).
There is 13 nature reserves in Warsaw – among others, Bielany Forest, Kabaty Woods, Czerniaków Lake. About 15 kilometres (9 miles) from Warsaw, the Vistula river's environment changes strikingly and features a perfectly preserved ecosystem, with a habitat of animals that includes the otter, beaver and hundreds of bird species.[61] There is also several lakes in Warsaw – mainly the oxbow lakes, like Czerniaków Lake, the lakes in the Łazienki or Wilanów Parks, Kamionek Lake. There are lot of small lakes in the parks, but only part of them is permanent – the most of them is being emptied before winter to clean them of plants and sediments.
The Warsaw Zoo covers an area of 40 hectares (99 acres).[62] There are about 5,000 animals representing nearly 500 species.[62] Although officially created in 1928,[62] it traces back its roots to 17th century private menageries, often open to the public.[63][64]
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1700 | 30,000 | — |
| 1792 | 120,000 | +300.0% |
| 1800 | 63,400 | −47.2% |
| 1830 | 139,700 | +120.3% |
| 1850 | 163,600 | +17.1% |
| 1882 | 383,000 | +134.1% |
| 1901 | 711,988 | +85.9% |
| 1909 | 764,054 | +7.3% |
| 1925 | 1,003,000 | +31.3% |
| 1933 | 1,178,914 | +17.5% |
| 1939 | 1,300,000 | +10.3% |
| 1945 | 422,000 | −67.5% |
| 1950 | 803,800 | +90.5% |
| 1960 | 1,136,000 | +41.3% |
| 1970 | 1,315,600 | +15.8% |
| 1980 | 1,596,100 | +21.3% |
| 1990 | 1,655,700 | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 1,672,400 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 1,688,200 | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 1,702,100 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 1,714,466 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 1,720,398 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 1,708,491 | −0.7% |
| Note: 2006[65] 2010[66] 2011[1] | ||
. The first remedial measure was the Warsaw area enlargement (1951) – but the city authorities were still forced to introduce residency registration limitations: only the spouses and children of the permanent residents as well as some persons of public importance (like renowned specialists) were allowed to get the registration, hence halving the population growth in the following years. It also bolstered some kind of conviction among Poles that Varsovians thought of themselves as better only because they lived in the capital. Unfortunately this belief still lives on in Poland (although not as much as it used to be) – even though since 1990 there are no limitations to residency registration anymore.[71][72]
Municipal government
The municipal government existed in Warsaw until World War II and was restored in 1990 (during the communist times, the National City Council – Miejska Rada Narodowa – governed in Warsaw). Since 1990, the system of city administration has been changed several times – also as the result of the reform which restored powiats, cancelled in 1975. Finally, according the Warsaw Act, the city is divided into 18 districts and forms one city powiat with a unified municipal government.[73]
Legislative power in Warsaw is vested in a unicameral Warsaw City Council (Rada Miasta), which comprises 60 members.[73] Council members are elected directly every four years. Like most legislative bodies, the City Council divides itself into committees which have the oversight of various functions of the city government.[73] Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor (the President of Warsaw), who may sign them into law. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote.
Each of the 18 separate city districts has its own council (Rada dzielnicy).[73] Their duties are focused on aiding the President and the City Council, as well as supervising various municipal companies, city-owned property and schools. The head of each of the District Councils is named the Mayor (Burmistrz) and is elected by the local council from the candidates proposed by the President of Warsaw.
The mayor of Warsaw is called President. Generally, in Poland, the mayors of bigger cities are called presidents – i.e. such cities, which have over 100,000 people or these, where already was president before 1990. The first Warsaw President was Jan Andrzej Menich (1695–1696).[75] Between 1975 and 1990 the Warsaw Presidents was simultaneously the Warsaw Voivode. Since 1990 the President of Warsaw had been elected by the City council.[76] In the years of 1994–1999 the mayor of the district Centrum automatically was designed as the President of Warsaw: the mayor of Centrum was elected by the district council of Centrum and the council was elected only by the Centrum residents. Since 2002 the President of Warsaw is elected by all of the citizens of Warsaw.[76]
The current President of Warsaw is Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (since 2006-12-02) – the former president of the National Bank of Poland.[77] The first president elected according these rules was Lech Kaczyński. When he was elected on the President of Polish Republic (December 2005), there was not an additional election in Warsaw, hence formally he was simultaneously the President of Poland and the President of Warsaw.
Politics
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish (literally 'Envoy'). It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm (Marszałek Sejmu).
Transport
Main article: Transport in Warsaw
Warsaw has seen major infrastructural changes over the past few years amidst increased foreign investment, economic growth and EU funding. The city has a much improved infrastructure with new roads, flyovers, bridges, etc.[78]
Thanks to the A2 motorway stretching west from Warsaw, which opened in June 2012, the city now has a direct motorway connection with Łódż, Poznań and ultimately with Berlin.
The city has two international airports: Warsaw Chopin Airport, located just 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the city centre, and Warsaw-Modlin Airport, located 35 kilometres (22 mi) to the north, opened in July 2012.[80] With around 100 international and domestic flights a day and with 9,587,842 passengers served in 2012, Warsaw Frédéric Chopin Airport is by far the biggest airport in Poland.[80]
Public transport in Warsaw includes buses, trams (streetcars), Metro, light rail Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa line, urban railway Szybka Kolej Miejska, regional rail Koleje Mazowieckie (Mazovian Railways),[81] and bicycle sharing systems (Veturilo and Bemowo Bike). The buses, trams, urban railway and Metro are managed by Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego (ZTM, the Warsaw Municipal Transport Authority).
Currently, the Tramwaje Warszawskie (Warsaw Trams) company runs 863 cars on over 240 kilometres (150 mi) of tracks. Twenty-odd lines run across the city with additional lines opened on special occasions (such as All Saints' Day).
The first section of the Warsaw Metro was opened in 1995 initially with a total of 11 stations.[83] It now has 21 stations running a distance of approximately 23 km (14 mi).[84] Initially, all of the trains were Russian built. In 1998, 108 new carriages were ordered from Alstom.[83] The second line running east-west will be about 31 km (19 mi). The central section is now under construction and will be 6 km (4 mi) long with seven stations.[83]
The main railway station is Warszawa Centralna serving both domestic traffic to almost every major city in Poland, and international connections. There are also five other major railway stations and a number of smaller suburban stations.
Infrastructure
Main article: Infrastructure in Warsaw
Like many cities in Central and Eastern Europe, infrastructure in Warsaw suffered considerably during communism. However, over the past decade it has seen many improvements due to solid economic growth, an increase in foreign investment as well as funding from the European Union. In particular, the city's underground transit system, roads, sidewalks, health care facilities and sanitation facilities have improved markedly.[78]Today, Warsaw has some of the best medical facilities in Poland and Central Europe. The city is home to the Children's Memorial Health Institute (CMHI), the highest-reference hospital in all of Poland, as well as an active research and education center.[85] While the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology it is one of the largest and most modern oncological institutions in Europe.[86] The clinical section is located in a 10-floor building with 700 beds, 10 operating theatres, an intensive care unit, several diagnostic departments as well as an outpatient clinic.[86] The infrastructure has developed a lot over the past years.[87]
Religion
Main article: Religion in Warsaw
Leisure activities
Events
The Warsaw Film Festival, an annual festival that takes place every October.[94] Films are usually screened in their original language with Polish subtitles and participating cinemas include Kinoteka (Palace of Science and Culture), Multikino at Golden Terraces and Kultura. Over 100 films are shown throughout the festival, and awards are given to the best and most popular films.[94]
Sports
Main article: Sport in Warsaw
The National Stadium, capacity of 58,500 seat football (soccer) stadium, Warsaw's recently demolished 10th-Anniversary Stadium.[96] The national stadium hosted the opening match, 2 group matches, a quarterfinal, and a semifinal of the UEFA Euro 2012 hosted jointly by Poland and Ukraine.[97]
The best of the city's swimming centres is at Wodny Park Warszawianka, 4 km (2 mi) south of the centre at Merliniego Street, where there's an Olympic-sized pool as well as water slides and children's areas.[98]
From the Warsovian football teams, the most famous is Legia Warszawa – the army club with a nationwide following play at Polish Army Stadium, just southeast of the centre at Łazienkowska Street. Established in 1916, they have won the country’s championship 9 times (most recently in 2013) and won the Polish Cup 16 times. They have never been relegated divisions. In the Champions League season 1995/96 they reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Panathinaikos Athens.
Their local rivals, Polonia Warsaw, have significantly fewer supporters, yet they managed to win Ekstraklasa Championship in 2000. They also won the country’s championship in 1946, and won the cup twice as well. Polonia's home venue is located at Konwiktorska Street, a ten-minute walk north from the Old Town. Polonia was relegated from the country's top flight in 2013 because of their disastrous financial situation. They are now playing in the 4th league (5th tier in Poland) -the bottom professional league in the National - Polish Football Association (PZPN) structure.
Culture
Theatre in the past
s.[99]
The main building housed the Great Theatre from 1833 to 1834, the Rozmaitości Theatre from 1836 to 1924 and then the National Theatre, the Reduta Theatre from 1919 to 1924, and from 1928 to 1939 – the Nowy Theatre, which staged productions of contemporary poetical drama, including those directed by Leon Schiller.[99]
Nearby, in Ogród Saski (the Saxon Garden), the Summer Theatre was in operation from 1870 to 1939,[100] and in the inter-war period, the theatre complex also included Momus, Warsaw's first literary cabaret, and Leon Schiller's musical theatre Melodram. The Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre (1922–26), was the best example of "Polish monumental theatre". From the mid-1930s, the Great Theatre building housed the Upati Institute of Dramatic Arts – the first state-run academy of dramatic art, with an acting department and a stage directing department.[99]
Plac Teatralny and its environs was the venue for numerous parades, celebrations of state holidays, carnival balls and concerts.
Theatre
Warsaw is home to over 30 major theatres spread throughout the city, including the National Theatre (founded in 1765) and the Grand Theatre (established 1778).[101]Warsaw also attracts many young and off-stream directors and performers who add to the city's theatrical culture. Their productions may be viewed mostly in smaller theatres and Houses of Culture (Domy Kultury), mostly outside Śródmieście (Central Warsaw). Warsaw hosts the International Theatrical Meetings.
Music
Thanks to numerous musical venues, including the Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera, the Chamber Opera, the National Philharmonic Hall and the National Theatre, as well as the Roma and Buffo music theatres and the Congress Hall in the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw hosts many events and festivals. Among the events worth particular attention are: the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition, the International Contemporary Music Festival Warsaw Autumn, the Jazz Jamboree, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, the Mozart Festival, and the Festival of Old Music.[102]Warsaw is also considered as one of the European hubs of underground electronic music with a very attractive house and techno music scene.[103]
Museums and art galleries
As interesting examples of expositions the most notable are: the world's first Museum of Posters boasting one of the largest collections of art posters in the world,[105] Museum of Hunting and Riding and the Railway Museum. From among Warsaw's 60 museums, the most prestigious ones are National Museum with a collection of works whose origin ranges in time from antiquity till the present epoch as well as one of the best collections of paintings in the country including some paintings from Adolf Hitler's private collection,[106] and Museum of the Polish Army whose set portrays the history of arms.
The collections of Łazienki and Wilanów palaces (both buildings came through the war in good shape) focus on the paintings of the "old masters", as are those of the Royal Castle which displays the Lanckoroński Collection including two paintings by Rembrandt.[107] The Palace in Natolin, a former rural residence of Duke Czartoryski, is another venue with its interiors and park accessible to tourists.
A fine tribute to the fall of Warsaw and history of Poland can be found in the Warsaw Uprising Museum and in the Katyń Museum which preserves the memory of the crime.[110] Museum of Independence host sentimental and patriotic paraphernalia connected with these epochs. Dating back to 1936 Warsaw Historical Museum contains 60 rooms which host a permanent exhibition of the history of Warsaw from its origins until today.
The 17th century Royal Ujazdów Castle currently houses Centre for Contemporary Art, with some permanent and temporary exhibitions, concerts, shows and creative workshops. The Centre currently realizes about 500 projects a year. Zachęta National Gallery of Art, the oldest exhibition site in Warsaw, with a tradition stretching back to the mid-19th century organises exhibitions of modern art by Polish and international artists and promotes art in many other ways.
The city also possesses some oddities such as the Museum of Caricature,[111] the Museum of John Paul II and Primate Wyszyński, and a Motorisation Museum in Otrębusy.[112]
Media and film
See also: List of films featuring Warsaw
Since May 1661 the first Polish newspaper, Polish Ordinary Mercury, was printed in Warsaw. The city is also the printing capital of Poland with a wide variety of domestic and foreign periodicals expressing diverse views, and domestic newspapers are extremely competitive. Rzeczpospolita, Gazeta Wyborcza, Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat Poland's large nationwide daily newspapers[114] have their headquarters in Warsaw.
Warsaw also has a sizable movie and television industry. The city houses several movie companies and studios. Among the movie companies are TOR, Czołówka, Zebra and Kadr who is behind several international movie productions.[115]
Over the next few years the new Film City in Nowe Miasto, located a mere 80 km (50 mi) from Warsaw, will become the centre of Polish film production and international co-production.[115] It is to be the largest high-tech film studio in Europe.[115] The first projects filmed in the new Film City will be two films about the Warsaw Uprising.[115] Two backlots will be constructed for these projects – a lot of pre-WWII Warsaw and city ruins.[115]
Since World War II, Warsaw has been the most important centre of film production in Poland. It has also been featured in numerous movies, both Polish and foreign, for example: Kanał and Korczak by Andrzej Wajda, The Decalogue by Krzysztof Kieślowski, also including Oscar winner The Pianist by Roman Polański.[116]
Education
Main article: Education in Warsaw
The University of Warsaw was established in 1816, when the partitions of Poland separated Warsaw from the oldest and most influential Polish academic center, in Kraków.[119] Warsaw University of Technology is the second academic school of technology in the country, and one of the largest in Central Europe, employing 2,000 professors.[120] Other institutions for higher education include the Medical University of Warsaw, the largest medical school in Poland and one of the most prestigious, the National Defence University, highest military academic institution in Poland, the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe,[121] the Warsaw School of Economics, the oldest and most renowned economic university in the country,[122] and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences the largest agricultural university founded in 1818.[123]
Warsaw has numerous libraries, many of which contain vast collections of historic documents. The most important library in terms of historic document collections include the National Library of Poland. Library holds 8.2 million volumes in its collection.[124] Formed in 1928[125] sees itself as a successor to the Załuski Library, the biggest in Poland and one of the first and biggest libraries in the world.[125][126]
Another important library – the University Library, founded in 1816,[127] is home to over two million items.[128] The building was designed by architects Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski and opened on 15 December 1999.[129] It is surrounded by green. The University Library garden, designed by Irena Bajerska, was opened on 12 June 2002. It is one of the largest and most beautiful roof gardens in Europe with an area of more than 10,000 m2 (107,639.10 sq ft), and plants covering 5,111 m2 (55,014.35 sq ft).[130] As the university garden it is open to the public every day.[130]
Economy
In 2011, Warsaw was ranked the world's 46th most expensive city to live in.[131] It was classified as an Alpha- world city (also known as a "major world city") by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group and Network from Loughborough University, placing it on a par with cities such as Amsterdam or Rome.[132] The city also ranked 8th out of 65 cities on MasterCard's Emerging Markets Index (2008).[133]Business and commerce
Warsaw Stock Exchange
Main article: Warsaw Stock Exchange
Industry
During Warsaw's reconstruction after World War II, the communist authorities decided that the city would become a major industrial centre. As a result, numerous large factories were built in and around the city. The largest were the Huta Warszawa Steel Works, the car factory FSO and the tractor factory “Ursus”.As the communist economy deteriorated, these factories lost significance and most went bankrupt after 1989.[142][143] Today, the Arcelor Warszawa Steel Mill (formerly Huta Warszawa) is the only major factory remaining.
The FSO Car Factory was established in 1951. A number of vehicles have been assembled there over the decades, including the Warszawa, Syrena, Fiat 125p (under license from Fiat, later renamed FSO 125p when the license expired) and the Polonez. The last two models listed were also sent abroad and assembled in a number of other countries, including Egypt and Columbia. In 1995 the factory was purchased by the South Korean car manufacturer Daewoo, which assembled the Tico, Espero, Nubia, Tacuma, Leganza, Lanos and Matiz there for the European market. In 2005 the factory was sold to AvtoZAZ, a Ukrainian car manufacturer which assembled there the Chevrolet Aveo. The license for the production of the Aveo expired in February 2011 and has since not been renewed. Currently the company is defunct.
The “Ursus” factory opened in 1893 and is still in operation today. Throughout its history various machinery was assembled there, including motorcycles, military vehicles, trucks and buses. However, since World War II only tractors are still being assembled there.
The number of state-owned enterprises continues to decrease while the number of companies operating with foreign capital is on the rise, reflecting the continued shift towards a modern market-based economy.[142] The largest foreign investors are Coca-Cola Amatil and Metro AG.[142] Warsaw has the biggest concentration of electronics and high-tech industry in Poland, while the growing consumer market perfectly fosters the development of the food-processing industry.[142]
Tourist attractions
Main article: Tourist attractions in Warsaw
Sights
| Historic Centre of Warsaw | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
 |
|
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, vi |
| Reference | 30 |
| UNESCO region | Europe |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1980 (4th Session) |
Further south is the so-called Royal Route, with many classicist palaces, the Presidential Palace and the University of Warsaw campus. Wilanów Palace, the former royal residence of King John III Sobieski, is notable for its baroque architecture and parks.[144]
Warsaw's oldest public park, the Saxon Garden, is located within 10 minutes' walk from the old town.[145] Warsaw's biggest public park is the Łazienki Park, established in the 17th century and given its current classical shape in late 18th century.[146] It is located further south, on the Royal Route, about 3 km (1.9 mi) from the Warsaw Old Town.
The Powązki Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe,[147] full of sculptures, some of them by the most renowned Polish artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Since it serves the religious communities of Warsaw, be it Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Muslims or Protestants, it is often called a necropolis. Nearby is the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.
There are also many places commemorating the heroic history of Warsaw.[149] Pawiak, an infamous German Gestapo prison now occupied by a Mausoleum of Memory of Martyrdom and the museum, is only the beginning of a walk in the traces of Heroic City.[149] The Warsaw Citadel, an impressive 19th-century fortification built after the defeat of the November Uprising, was a place of martyr for the Poles.[149] Another important monument, the statue of Little Insurgent located at the ramparts of the Old Town, commemorates the children who served as messengers and frontline troops in the Warsaw Uprising, while the impressive Warsaw Uprising Monument by Wincenty Kućma was erected in memory of the largest insurrection of World War II.[149][150]
In Warsaw there are many places connected with the life and work of Frédéric Chopin. The heart of Polish-born composer is sealed inside Warsaw's Holy Cross Church.[151] During the summer time the Chopin Statue in the Łazienki Park is a place where pianists give concerts to the park audience.[152]
Also many references to Marie Curie, her work and her family can be found in Warsaw: Marie's birthplace at the Warsaw New Town, the working places where she did her first scientific works[153] and the Radium Institute at Wawelska Street for the research and the treatment of which she founded in 1925.[154]
Warsaw Mermaid
Main article: Coat of arms of Warsaw
The mermaid (syrenka) is Warsaw's symbol[155] and can be found on statues throughout the city and on the city's coat of arms. This imagery has been in use since at least the mid-14th century.[156] The oldest existing armed seal of Warsaw is from the year 1390, consisting of a round seal bordered with the Latin inscription Sigilium Civitatis Varsoviensis (Seal of the city of Warsaw).[157] City records as far back as 1609 document the use of a crude form of a sea monster with a female upper body and holding a sword in its claws.[158] In 1653 the poet Zygmunt Laukowski asks the question:| “ | Warsaw of strong walls; why was the emblem Mermaid with sharp sword, given you by the kings? | ” |
—Zygmunt Laukowski[159]
|
||
The origin of the legendary figure is not fully known. The best-known legend, by Artur Oppman, is that long ago two of Triton's daughters set out on a journey through the depths of the oceans and seas. One of them decided to stay on the coast of Denmark and can be seen sitting at the entrance to the port of Copenhagen. The second mermaid reached the mouth of the Vistula River and plunged into its waters. She stopped to rest on a sandy beach by the village of Warszowa, where fishermen came to admire her beauty and listen to her beautiful voice. A greedy merchant also heard her songs; he followed the fishermen and captured the mermaid.[160]
Another legend says that a mermaid once swam to Warsaw from the Baltic Sea for the love of the Griffin, the ancient defender of the city, who was killed in a struggle against the Swedish invasions of the 17th century. The mermaid, wishing to avenge his death, took the position of defender of Warsaw, becoming the symbol of the city.[160]
Every member of the Queen's Royal Hussars of the United Kingdom light cavalry wears the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. 2 (Service) Dress.[161] Members of 651 Squadron Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom also wear the Maid of Warsaw on the left sleeve of their No. 2 (Service) Dress.[162]
Famous people
Further information: Category:People from Warsaw
Tamara de Lempicka was a famous artist born in Warsaw.[165] She was born Maria Górska in Warsaw to wealthy parents and in 1916 married a Polish lawyer Tadeusz Łempicki.[166] Better than anyone else she represents the Art Deco style in painting.[165] Nathan Alterman, the Israeli poet, was born in Warsaw, as was Moshe Vilenski, the Israeli composer, lyricist, and pianist, who studied music at the Warsaw Conservatory.[167] Warsaw was the beloved city of Isaac Bashevis Singer, which he described in many of his novels:[168] Warsaw has just now been destroyed. No one will ever see the Warsaw I knew. Let me just write about it. Let this Warsaw not disappear forever, he commented.[169]
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