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"Krakow" redirects here. For other places named Krakow, see Krakow (disambiguation).
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Kraków |
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Poland
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| Voivodeship | Lesser Poland | ||
| County | city county | ||
| City rights | June 5, 1257 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Jacek Majchrowski | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 327 km² (126.3 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 219 m (719 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - Total | 756,757 | ||
| - Density | 2,314.2/km² (5,993.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 30-024 to 31-962 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 12 | ||
| Car plates | KR | ||
| Website: http://www.krakow.pl/ | |||
Kraków [ˈkrakuf] (
listen), in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (pronounced /ˈkrækaʊ/, M-W: krăk\'ou, krāk\'ō
), is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with a population of 756,336 in 2007 (1,403,247 in the Kraków-Tarnów sub-region).Central Statistical Office, Warsaw 2007, Population. Size and Structure by Territorial Division, as of June 30, 2007. Table 3, pg.13 of the Report (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-12-13. Situated on the Vistula river (Polish: Wisła) in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century.The Municipality Of Kraków Press Office, 1996–2007, in participation with ACK Cyfronet of the AGH University of Science and Technology, "Our City. History of Krakow, archaeological findings". Retrieved on 2007-09-11. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Kraków from 1846 to 1918, and the capital of Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1999. It is now the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.
Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish scientific, cultural and artistic life. As the former national capital with a history encompassing more than a thousand years, the city remains the spiritual heart of Poland. It is a major attraction for local and international tourists, attracting seven million visitors annually. Famous landmarks include the Main Market Square with St. Mary\'s Basilica and the Sukiennice Cloth Hall, the Wawel Castle, the National Art Museum, the Zygmunt Bell at the Wawel Cathedral, and the medieval St Florian\'s Gate with the Barbican along the Royal Coronation Route. In 1978, UNESCO added Kraków\'s historic centre, which includes the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle to the list of World Heritage Sites.
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The name of Kraków is traditionally derived from Krakus (Krak, Grakch), the legendary founder of Kraków and a ruler of the tribe of Lechitians (Poles). In Polish, Kraków is an archaic possessive form of Krak and essentially means "Krak\'s (town)". Krakus\'s name may derive from "krakula", a Proto-Slavic word(Polish) Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin. Historical forum, "Krak or Krakus?". Retrieved on 2007-06-10. meaning a judge\'s staff, or a Proto-Slavic word "krak" meaning an oak, once a sacred tree most often associated with the concept of genealogy. The first mention of Prince Krakus (then written as Grakch) dates back to 1190, although the town existed as early as the 7th century, inhabited by the tribe of Wiślanie.
The city\'s full official name, used on ceremonial occasions, is Royal Capital City of Kraków (Polish: Królewskie Stołeczne Miasto Kraków). A person born, or living, in Kraków is called a Cracovian (Polish: Krakowianin).
The city is known in Czech as Krakov, in French as Cracovie, in German as Krakau, in Latin as Cracovia, and in Lithuanian as Krokuva. Ukrainian and Yiddish languages refer to it as Krakiv and Kroke (קראָקע) respectively.Andrzej Chwalba. Krakow w latach 1939–1945 (Cracow, 1939–1945). Dzieje Krakowa tom 5. Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2002. (In Polish.)[1] Names of Kraków in different languages are also available.
Archaeological evidence suggests that a settlement had been established in the Stone Age on the present site of the Wawel Hill."Wawel Krakow". Retrieved on 2007-09-12. Wawel Hill past and present A legend attributes its founding to the mythical ruler Krakus, who built it above a cave occupied by a ravenous dragon, Smok Wawelski.Wawel Royal Castle, homepage. Maria Dębicka, "The Dragon’s Den". Retrieved on 2007-09-11. The first written record of the city\'s name dates back to 966, when a Sephardi Jewish traveller, Abraham ben Jacob, described Kraków as a notable commercial centre.
By the end of the 10th century, the city was a leading trading centre, incorporated into the holdings of the Piast dynasty. Brick buildings were constructed, including the Wawel Castle, Romanesque churches such as St. Adalbert\'s, a cathedral, and a basilica. The city was almost entirely destroyed during the Tatar invasions of 1241, 1259 and 1287.Edmund Kolodziejczyk, "Poland. Geography, political history and the position of the church." Catholic Encyclopedia, Overview of historic events (see:Tartar raids). Retrieved on 2007-05-12. It was rebuilt and incorporated in 1257, based on the Magdeburg law, with tax benefits and trade privileges for its citizens.Marek Strzala,"Krakow’s oldest known City Charter dates back to 1257". Retrieved on 2007-05-12. The city again rose to prominence in 1364, when Casimir III of Poland founded the University of Kraków,Sharon & Peter Pfeiffer, "Krakow. A brief history." The establishment of a university. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. the second oldest university in central Europe after the University of Prague. The city continued to grow under the joint Lithuanian-Polish Jagiellon dynasty (1386–1572). As the capital of a powerful state and a member of the Hanseatic League, the city attracted many craftsmen, businesses, and guilds as science and the arts began to flourish.Hanseatic towns: Kraków, Polonia Online, Retrieved on 25 September, 2007.
The 15th and 16th centuries were known as Poland\'s Złoty Wiek, the Golden Age.Davies, Norman (2005). God\'s Playground: A History of Poland. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199253390. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. p.118. See vol.1, chapter 5 Many works of Polish Renaissance art and architecture were created there during that time,Michael J. Mikoś, Polish Renaissance Literature: An Anthology. Ed. Michael J. Mikoś. Columbus, Ohio/Bloomington, Indiana: Slavica Publishers. 1995. ISBN 978-0-89357-257-0 First chapters online, Retrieved on 25 September 2007Cracow\'s Historic Centre, UNESCO report, retrieved on 04 October 2007 including ancient synagogues in Kraków\'s Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, such as the renown Old Synagogue.Old Synagogue in Krakow, Retrieved on 25 September, 2007. During the reign of Casimir IV, crowned King of Poland in 1447, numerous artists, from as far as Nuremberg and Italy, came to work and live in Kraków. The king\'s children were taught by an Italian humanist, Filip Callimachus. In 1488, the Holy Roman Emperor\'s Poet Laureate Conrad Celtes founded the Sodalitas Litterarum Vistulana (Vistula Literary Society), which was based on Roman Academies. In 1489, sculptor Veit Stoss finished his work on the High Altar of the St. Mary\'s Church,Marek Strzala, Most Important Dates in Krakow\'s History. Veit Stoss altarpiece for Krakow’s Basilica of Virgin Mary. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. followed by a marble sarcophagus for King Casimir IV. Johann Haller established a printing press in the cityHarold B. Segel, Renaissance Culture in Poland: The Rise of Humanism, 1470–1543, Cornell University Press, 1989, ISBN 0801422868, Google Print, p.252 after Kasper Straube had printed the Calendarium Cracoviense, the first work printed in Poland, in 1473.Norman Davies, God\'s Playground, vol.1, chapter 5 [2] Wieslaw Wydra, "Die ersten in polnischer Sprache gedruckten Texte, 1475–1520", Gutenberg-Jahrbuch, Vol. 62 (1987), pp.88–94 (88)
In 1520, the most famous church bell in Poland, named Zygmunt after Sigismund I of Poland, was cast by Hans Behem. "The Warsaw Voice", April 11, 1999. "Bell Woman of Wawel Hill". Retrieved on 2007-09-11. At that time, Hans Dürer, a younger brother of Albrecht Dürer, was Sigismund\'s court painter.T. Sturge Moore, "Albert Durer"; and Janusz Wałek, Painting in Poland - A brief summary. Retrieved on 2007-09-11. Hans von Kulmbach made altarpieces for several churches.Emil Kren and Daniel Marx, "Artists\' biographies."Hans Süss von Kulmbach; J. Paul Getty Museum, "Artists: Hans von Kulmbach"; also, Agnieszka Janczyk, Kazimierz Kuczman, Joanna Winiewicz-Wolska, Wawel Royal Castle, The National Art Collection (homepage). Retrieved on 2007-09-11. In 1572, King Sigismund II, the last of the Jagiellons, died childless. The Polish throne passed to Henry III of France and then to other foreign-based rulers in rapid succession, causing a decline in the city\'s importance that was worsened by pillaging during the Swedish invasion and by an outbreak of plague that left 20,000 of the city\'s residents dead. In 1596, Sigismund III, of the Swedish House of Vasa, moved the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Kraków to Warsaw.Jagiellonian University Center for European Studies, "A Very Short History of Kraków", see: 1596 administrative capital, the tiny village of Warsaw. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
| Cracow\'s Historic Centre* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | IV |
| Reference | 29 |
| Region† | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1978 (2nd Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. | |
Already weakened during the 18th century, by mid-1790 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had been twice partitioned by its neighbors: Russia, the Habsburg empire, and Prussia.Dorota Wasik, Cracow University of Economics, International Programs Office: "A short long history of Cracow", see: The Polish struggle for freedom. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. In 1794, Tadeusz Kościuszko initiated an unsuccessful insurrection in the town\'s Main Square that resulted in the third partition of Poland.Grzegorz Reszka, based on:T. Cegielski, K. Zielińska: "Historia. Dzieje nowożytne", J. A. Gierowski: "Historia Polski 1764–1864", Lubicz-Pachoński: "Kościuszko na ziemi krakowskiej", A. Radziwiłł, W. Roszkowski: :Historia 1789–1871:, W. Malski: "Amerykańska wojna pułkownika Kościuszki". Insurekcja kościuszkowska 1764–1798. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. Kraków became part of the Austrian province of Galicia. In 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte captured former Polish territories from Austria and made the town part of the Duchy of Warsaw, an independent, though subordinate, Polish state ruled by the King of Saxony, Frederick Augustus I. Following Napoleon\'s defeat in Russia, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 mostly restored earlier structures, although it also created the partially independent Free City of Kraków. As in 1794, the city again became the center of an insurrection, the Kraków Uprising of 1846, which failed to spread outside the city and was put down. Again, it resulted in an annexation by Austria, on 16 November 1846. The former Free City region became the Grand Duchy of Cracow (German: Großherzogtum Krakau, Polish: Wielkie Księstwo Krakowskie).
Chapel of St. Bronisława adjacent to Kościuszko Mound,Kościuszko Mound Homepage, Kraków, Poland. "The history of the Kościuszko Mound". Retrieved on 2007-05-12. erected in 1820 to commemorate the death of Tadeusz Kościuszko
In 1866, Austria granted a degree of autonomy to Galicia after the Austro-Prussian War.Marek Strzala, "History of Krakow" (see: Franz Joseph I granted Krakow the municipal government). Retrieved on 2007-05-12. As this form of Austrian rule was more benevolent than that exercised either by the Russian Empire in Congress Poland or by Prussia, see vol.2, chapter 3 Davies, Norman. God\'s Playground. [3] Kraków became a Polish national symbol and a center of culture and art, sometimes known in Polish as Polskie Ateny ("Polish Athens"), to which Poles would flock to revere the symbols and monuments of Poland\'s past.(Polish) Bożena Szara, Przeglad Polski, 6 April 2001. Miedzy dwoma swiatami czyli powrot do przeszlosci. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. Several important celebrations took place in GaliciaHubert Zawadzki, Jerzy Lukowski, A Concise History of Poland, Cambridge University Press, 2001, ISBN 0521559170, Battle of Grunwald. Google Print, p.148. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. during the period from 1866 to 1914, including the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald in 1910. Many leading Polish artists of that period resided in Kraków, Cracow: City of Treasures, by Beata Moore, [4] among them the seminal painter Jan Matejko,Jan Matejko: The Painter and Patriot. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. and the founder of modern Polish drama, Stanisław Wyspiański.Maria Prussak, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, April 2006. Profiles. Visual arts, literature, theatre: "Stanisław Wyspiański.". Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
Fin de siècle Kraków evolved into a modern metropolis;(Polish) Adam Mickiewicz Institute: Culture.pl, editor in chief: Andrzej Lubomirski, Warsaw, ISSN 1734–0624, "Fin-de-Siecle in Kraków". Retrieved on 2007-05-18. running water and electric streetcars were introduced in 1901,(Polish) Artur Turyna, Kraków - najważniejsze daty - Okres IV - od początku XX wieku do dziś. Retrieved on 2007-09-12. and between 1910 and 1915, Kraków and surrounding suburban communities were gradually combined into a single administrative unit called Greater Kraków (Wielki Kraków).
At the outbreak of World War I on August 3 1914, Józef Piłsudski formed a small cadre military unit, the First Cadre Company—the predecessor of the Polish Legions—which set out from Kraków to fight for the liberation of Poland.(Polish) Bohdan Urbankowski, Józef Piłsudski: marzyciel i strateg (Józef Piłsudski: Dreamer and Strategist). Wydawnictwo ALFA, Warsaw, 1997, 171–172. ISBN 8370019145. The city was briefly besieged by Russian troops in November 1914, but they were pushed back afterwards.(Polish) Paweł Stachnik, Dziennik Polski, September 21 2004. "Okrzyk na cześć cesarza.". Retrieved on 2007-09-01. The Austrian rule in Kraków ended on 31 October 1918, when the Polish Liquidation Committee assumed power.
St. Mary\'s Square with St. Mary\'s Basilica (left)
With the emergence of the Second Polish Republic, Kraków restored its role as a major academic and cultural centre with the establishment of new universities such as the AGH University of Science and Technology and the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, including a number of new and essential vocational schools.StateUniversity.com, 2007, Poland - History & Background. Retrieved on 2007-11-22. It became an important cultural centre for Polish Jews and had a Zionist youth movement that was relatively strong among the city\'s Jewish population.Eilat Gordin Levitan, Krakow old scenes, including historical photographs. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. However, after invading Poland in September 1939, the Nazi German forces turned the town into the capital of the General Government, a colonial authority headed by Hans Frank and seated in Wawel Castle. In an operation called "Sonderaktion Krakau", more than 180 university professors and academics were arrested and sent to Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps, though the survivors were later released on the request of prominent Italians.Anna M. Cienciala, History 557 Lecture Notes, 2002 (Revised Fall. 2003), 16B. Eastern Europe in World War II: October 1939 – May 1945.. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.(Polish) Edward Burek, (editor). “Sonderaktion Krakau” in Encyklopedia Krakowa. Krakow: PWM, 2000 The Jewish population was first confined to a ghetto and later murdered or sent to concentration camps, including Płaszów and Auschwitz in Oświęcim.Bieberstein: Zagłada Żydów w Krakowie. Kraków 1985. J. Kast, B. Siegler, P. Zinke: Das Tagebuch der Partisanin Justyna. Jüdischer Widerstand in Krakau. Berlin 1999. Articles from Kraków newspapers (mostly from the local "Gazeta Wyborcza") published in March 2003 on the 60th anniversary of the liquidation of the Kraków ghetto. Featuring historical maps. The Krakow Ghetto 1940–1943. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
Kraków remained relatively undamaged at the end of World War II.Jerzy Lukowski, Hubert Zawadzki, A Concise History of Poland, Cambridge University Press, 2006, ISBN 052185332X, Google Print, p.66 Allegedly Germans planned to destroy it with massive amounts of explosives,Norman Salsitz, Stanley Kaish, Three Homelands: Memories of a Jewish Life in Poland, Israel, and America. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.Anna M. Cienciala, "The German Occupation of Poland and the Holocaust in German-occupied Poland." Chapter: "The Polish Resistance Movement against the Germans." The Polish Review, v.48, 1, 2003, 49–72. but according to the most popular of several versions of the story,(Polish) Leszek Mazan, Ocalenie Krakowa, Polityka - nr 3 (2487) z dnia 22-01-2005.. Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev, after being informed by the Polish patriots of the German plan,Ivan Katyshkin, "Sluzhili my v shtabe armeiskom", Moskva, Voenizdat, 1979, LCCN 80-503360, p. 155 tried to preserve Kraków from destruction by ordering a lightning attack on the city. Makhmut Gareev, Marshal Konev, Krasnaia Zvezda, April 12, 2001 The credibility of these accounts has been recently questioned by Polish historian Andrzej Chwalba, who in his recent works finds no evidence for any German plan of massive destruction and portrays Konev\'s strategy as ordinary, only accidentally resulting in reduced damage to Kraków, a fact that was later exaggerated into the myth of "Konev, savior of Kraków" by Soviet propaganda.(Polish) Andrzej Chwalba. Krakow w latach 1939–1945 Cracow under German Occupation, 1939–1945. Dzieje Krakowa tom 5. Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2002.(Polish) Alma Mater, Jagiellonian University monthly, No.64 (2004). Interview with professor Andrzej Chwalba, by Rita Pagacz-Moczarska. OKUPOWANY KRAKÓW. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
After the war, under the Stalinist regime the intellectual and academic community of Kraków was put under total political control. The universities were soon deprived of their printing rights as well as their autonomy.Science & Higher Education in Cracow 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-23. The communist government of the People\'s Republic of Poland ordered construction of the country\'s largest steel mill in the newly-created suburb of Nowa Huta.Jagiellonian University Centre for European Studies, see: "Worker\'s paradise" of concrete. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. The creation of the giant Lenin Steelworks (now Sendzimir Steelworks owned by Mittal) sealed Kraków\'s transformation from a university city to an industrial centre. Encyclopædia Britannica, Nowa Huta (section of Kraków, Poland). Retrieved on 2007-11-23. The new working class, drawn by the industrialization of the city, contributed to its rapid population growth. Also, in an effort that spanned two decades, Karol Wojtyła, cardinal archbishop of Kraków, successfully lobbied for permission to build the first churches in the new industrial suburbs.
Vistula River meander with the view of Dębnicki Bridge, downtown Kraków
Kraków lies in the southern part of Poland, on the Vistula River in a valley at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, 219 meters (719 ft) above sea level, between the Jurassic Rock Upland (Polish: Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska) to the north and the Tatra Mountains 100 kilometers (62 mi) to the south. There are five nature reserves in Kraków, with a combined area of ca. 48.6 hectares (120 acres). Due to their ecological value, these areas are legally protected. Kraków has also 192 nature monuments characterized by their unique scientific, historical and aesthetic value. The western part of the city, along its northern and north-western side, borders an area of international significance known as the Jurassic Bielany-Tyniec refuge. The main motives for the protection of this area include plant and animal wildlife and the area\'s geomorphological features and landscape.Witold Stefan Alexandrowicz and Zofia Alexandrowicz, Acta Carsologica, Slovenian Academy Of Sciences "Pattern of karst landscape of the Cracow Upland (South Poland)". Retrieved on 2007-09-12. Another part of the city is located within the ecological \'corridor\' of the Vistula River valley. This corridor is also assessed as being of international significance as part of the Pan-European ecological network.Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Jagiellonian University, "The forms of nature protection within the city limits". Retrieved on 2007-09-12. The city centre is situated on the left (northern) bank of the river.
Kraków has a temperate climate. Average temperatures in summer range from 17 °C (63 °F) to 19 °C (66 °F) and in winter from 0 °C (32 °F) to 5 °C (41 °F). The average annual temperature fluctuates between 6 °C (43 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F). Kraków usually sees between 23 and 58 days per year with below-freezing temperatures. Predominantly western winds, conducive to rainfall, are typical of summer months, whereas eastern winds, decreasing the amount of precipitation, blow mostly in winter.Sharon & Peter Pfeiffer, "Kraków climate". Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
| Weather averages for Kraków | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average high °C (°F) | -1 (31) | 2 (35) | 7 (44) | 13 (56) | 18 (65) | 21 (70) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 18 (65) | 13 (56) | 7 (44) | 2 (35) | |
| Average low °C (°F) | -7 (19) | -5 (23) | -2 (29) | 3 (37) | 7 (45) | 11 (51) | 12 (54) | 12 (53) | 8 (47) | 4 (39) | 0 (32) | -4 (24) | |
| Precipitation mm (inch) | 33.0 (1.3) | 33.0 (1.3) | 33.0 (1.3) | 48.3 (1.9) | 83.8 (3.3) | 96.5 (3.8) | 86.4 (3.4) | 86.4 (3.4) | 53.3 (2.1) | 45.7 (1.8) | 45.7 (1.8) | 40.6 (1.6) | |
| Source: The Weather Channel Monthly Averages for Kraków (English). The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. Retrieved on June 09, 2007. | |||||||||||||
The steeple of St. Mary\'s Basilica as seen from St. Mary\'s Square, Old Town
The oldest neighborhoods of Kraków were incorporated into the city before the late 18th century. They include the Old Town (Stare Miasto), once contained within the city defensive walls and now encircled by the Planty park; the Wawel District, which is the site of the Royal Castle and the cathedral; Stradom and Kazimierz, the latter originally divided into Christian and Jewish quarters;Rick Steves, "Poland Rediscovered: ." Published in Rick Steves\' Eastern Europe, 2005 edition. Krakow, Auschwitz and Warsaw. Retrieved on 2007-09-12. as well as the ancient town of Kleparz. Major districts added in the 19th and 20th centuries include Podgórze, which until 1915 was a separate town on the southern bank of the Vistula, and Nowa Huta, east of the city centre, built after World War II.
The 18 districts of Kraków, with the Vistula River running from west to east
Inner courtyard of the Wawel Castle
Since March 27, 1991, Kraków has been divided into 18 administrative districts, each with a degree of autonomy within its own municipal government (Rada Dzielnicy). The current divisions were introduced by the Kraków City Hall on April 19, 1995. Districts were assigned Roman numerals as well as the current name:Original Kraków City Hall bylaw Nr XXI/143/91 (unpublished) introduced on March 27, 1991; current municipal borders established according to City bylaw Nr XVI/192/95 for April 19, 1995. Source: Gazeta Urzędowa Miasta Krakowa Nr 10, poz. 84 (pdf). Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Stare Miasto (I), Grzegórzki (II), Prądnik Czerwony (III), Prądnik Biały (IV), Krowodrza (V), Bronowice (VI), Zwierzyniec (VII), Dębniki (VIII), Łagiewniki-Borek Fałęcki (IX), Swoszowice (X), Podgórze Duchackie (XI), Bieżanów-Prokocim (XII), Podgórze (XIII), Czyżyny (XIV), Mistrzejowice (XV), Bieńczyce (XVI), Wzgórza Krzesławickie (XVII), and Nowa Huta (XVIII).
Among the most notable historic districts of the city are: Wawel Hill, home to Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral, where many Polish kings are buried; the medieval Old Town, with its Main Market Square (200 metres, or 656 feet, square); dozens of old churches and museums; the 14th-century buildings of the Jagiellonian University; and Kazimierz, the historical centre of Kraków\'s Jewish social and religious life.Global Portal of Diplomats at eDiplomat.com. Notes on Poland including recreation, entertainment, social and religious life, Krakow. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
The Old Town district of Kraków is home to about six thousand historic sites and more than two million works of art.Jeffrey Zuehlke, Poland in Pictures 72. Twenty-First Century Books. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. Its rich variety of historic architecture includes Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic buildings. Kraków\'s palaces, churches and mansions display great variety of color, architectural details, stained glass, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings.
In the Market Square stands the Gothic St. Mary\'s Basilica (Kościół Mariacki). It was built in the 14th century and features the famous wooden altar carved by Veit Stoss. A trumpet call, hejnał mariacki, is sounded from the church\'s main tower every hour. The melody played ends unexpectedly in midstream. According to legend, the tune was played during a 13th-century Tatar invasion by a guard warning citizens against the attack. He was shot by a Tatar warrior while playing, the melody breaking off at the moment he died.O.J\'s Music, Trumpet Page: including music notations and sound samples in MP3 and Midi version. Hejnal Mariacki - The Krakow Bugle Call. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. This story, however, has its origin in a book by an Irish writer, published in the USA in the late 1920s ...though there is probably no direct link between this bugle call and a historical event in 1241, this does not detract from its meaning for Polish people today J. P. Kelly, \'The Trumpeter of Cracow\'. Retrieved on 2007-12-19..
Public transport is based around a fairly dense network of tramway and bus lines operated by a municipal company, supplemented by a number of private minibus operators. Local trains connect some of the suburbs. The bulk of the city’s historic area has been turned into a pedestrian zone with rickshaws and horse buggies; however, the tramlines run within a three-block radius.Marek Strzala, Krakow. Varied Means of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
Rail connections are available to most Polish cities. Trains to Warsaw depart every hour. International destinations include Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Hamburg, Lvov, Kiev, and Odessa (June–September).(Polish) Magiczny Kraków, city\'s official website. International railway connections from Krakow. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. The main railway station is located just outside the Old Town District and is well-served by public transport.
Kraków airport, (John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice, Polish: Międzynarodowy Port Lotniczy im. Jana Pawła II Kraków-Balice) is 11 km (7 mi) west of the city. Direct trains cover the route between Kraków Główny train station and the airport in 15 minutes. The annual capacity of the airport is estimated at 1.3 million passengers; however, in 2007 more than 3,042 million people used the airport, giving Kraków Airport 15 percent of all air passenger traffic in Poland. The passenger terminal is undergoing extension and is being adapted to meet the requirements of the Schengen Treaty.World Airports Guide. Kraków Airport. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) at the Main Market Square
Kraków is one of Poland\'s most important economic centres. Its population has quadrupled since the end of World War II. Following the collapse of communism, history and tradition intermingled with the general trend toward a market economy. The private sector is growing. Offshoring of information technology (IT) work in recent years has become important to the economy of Kraków and to that of Poland in general. There are about 20 large multinational companies in Kraków, including Google, IBM, General Electric, Capgemini, "Capgemini offices in Poland". Retrieved on 2007-09-11. Motorola, and Sabre Holdings,www.sabre-holdings.com/aboutUs. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. along with other British and German-based firms.www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. The unemployment rate in Kraków was 4.8 percent in May 2007, well below the national average of 13 percent.(Polish) Level of unemployment in Poland by region, 31 May 2007. Current statistics. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Since the joining of the European Union in 2004, there has been a sense of a defined future and a solid economic base for the city and the region. International investment, tourism and the property market have grown toward the Western European average. Residential prices in Kraków have doubled in three years, reaching those of Warsaw and attracting developers and banks with their exponential growth.Interview with Rhiannon Williamson, Offplan Millionaire: Your Overseas Property Investment resource, Polish property investment has low risks. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
The city budget, which is presented by the Mayor of Kraków on the 15th of November each year, had a projected revenue of 2,150 billion złoty in 2006.(Polish) Biuro Informacji Publicznej (Office of Public Information). Budżet Miasta Krakowa na rok 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. The primary sources of revenue were as follows: 14% from the municipal taxation on real estate properties and the use of amenities, 30% in transfers from the national budget, and 34% in state subsidies. Projected expenditures, totaling 2,349 billion złoty, included 21% in city development costs and 79% in city maintenance costs. Of the maintenance costs, as much as 39% were spent on education and childcare. City of Kraków development costs included 41% toward road building, transport, and communication (combined), and 25% for the city\'s infrastructure and environment.(Polish) Biuro Informacji Publicznej, Kraków (Office of Public Information, Kraków). Biuletyn Statystyczny Miasta Krakowa. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
Main Market Square with Church of St. Wojciech (right)
The Kraków City Council has 43 elected members,Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej (Bulletin of Public Information), Radni Miasta Krakowa V kadencji (Kraków City Councillors of the 5th term). Retrieved on 2007-09-15. one of whom is the mayor, or President of Kraków, elected every four years. The election of the City Council and of the local head of government,Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej (Bulletin of Public Information), Dziennik Ustaw Nr 113 poz. 984. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. which takes place at the same time, is based on legislation introduced on 20 June 2002. The current President of Kraków, re-elected for his second term in 2006, is Prof. Jacek Majchrowski.
The responsibilities of Kraków’s president include drafting and implementing resolutions, enacting city bylaws, managing the city budget, employing city administrators, and preparing against floods and natural disasters. The president fulfills his duties with the help of the City Council, city managers and city inspectors. In the 1990s, the city government was reorganized to better differentiate between its political agenda and administrative functions. As a result, the Office of Public Information was created to handle inquiries and foster communication between city departments and citizens at large.Laura Brunell, Institutional Capital: Building Post-communist Government Performance. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. University Press of America, Lanham, Maryland, 2005, ISBN 0761829563.
In the year 2000, the city government introduced a new long-term program called "Safer City" in cooperation with the Police, Traffic, Social Services, Fire, Public Safety, and the Youth Departments. Subsequently, the number of criminal offences went down by 3 percent between 2000 and 2001, and the rate of detection increased by 1.4 percent to a total of 30.2 percent in the same period.Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej (Bulletin of Public Information). Raport o stanie miasta, 2001. BEZPIECZEŃSTWO PUBLICZNE. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. The city is receiving help in carrying out the program from all educational institutions and the local media, including TV, radio and the press. (See also: List of mayors of Kraków, and the Members of Polish national Parliament (Sejm) elected from Kraków constituency.)
| Demographic indicatorsData from population and housing census at www.stat.gov.pl | Years | Kraków |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1970 | 588,0 |
| Population density | 1970 | 2,556 |
| Number of women | 1970 | 110 |
| Population growth | 1998 | −1.3 |
According to the 2006 data, the population of Kraków comprised about 2% of the population of Poland and 23% of the population of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Selected demographic indicators are presented in a table (below), compiled on the basis of only the population living in Kraków permanently.
In the 1931 census, 78.1% of Cracovians declared Polish as their primary language, with Yiddish or Hebrew at 20.9%, Ukrainian 0.4%, German 0.3%, and Russian 0.1%.See “Ludność” English: Population in Encyklopedia Krakowa. Kraków: PWN, 2000 (Polish) The ravages of history have greatly reduced the percentage of ethnic minorities living in Kraków. The official and unofficial numbers differ, as in the case of Romani people. According to the 2002 census,(Polish) Województwo małopolskie – Urząd Statystyczny w Krakowie. Retrieved on 2007-09-08. among those who have declared their national identity (irrespective of language and religion) in Kraków Voivodeship, 1,572 are Slovaks, followed by Ukrainians (472), Jews (50) and Armenians (22). Romani people, officially numbered at 1,678, are estimated at over 5,000. According to statistics collected by the Ministry of Education, even though only 1% of adults (as per above) claim their official status, as many as 3% of students participate in programmes designed for ethnic minorities.(Polish) RAPORT z realizacji priorytetowego zadania Ministra Edukacji i Nauki, Kraków – marzec 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
Collegium Maius, the oldest building of the Jagiellonian University
Kraków is a major center of education. Eleven university or academy-level institutions offer courses in the city, with 170,000 students and 10,000 faculty, plus about a dozen colleges.
Jagiellonian University, the oldest and best known university in Poland and ranked by the Times Higher Education Supplement as the best university in the country,Times Higher Education Suplement (THES). Jagiellonian University ranking among world universities. Retrieved on 2007-09-11. Rank 287 worldwide as the first Polish university listed among the top 500 in 2006.QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Source: The Times Higher Education Suplement. QS World University Rankings. Jagiellonian University ranking among world universities. Retrieved on 2007-09-11. was founded in 1364 as the Cracow Academy and renamed in 1817 to commemorate the Jagiellonian dynasty of Polish-Lithuanian kings.Jagiellonian University (homepage), "Calendar" [5] Its principal academic asset is the Jagiellonian Library, with more than 4 million volumes, including a large collection of medieval manuscriptsJagiellonian University, Treasures of the Jagiellonian Library. Retrieved on 2007-09-11. like Copernicus\' De Revolutionibus and the Balthasar Behem Codex. With 42,325 students (2005) and 3,605 academic staff, the Jagiellonian University is also one of the leading research centres in Poland. Famous historical figures connected with the University include Saint John Cantius, Jan Długosz, Nicolaus Copernicus, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, Jan Kochanowski, King John III Sobieski, Pope John Paul II and Nobel laureates Ivo Andric and Wisława Szymborska.The Nobel Foundation. Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel Prize in Literature 1996. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
AGH University of Science and Technology, established in 1919, is the second-largest technical university in Poland, with more than 15 faculties and student enrollment exceeding 30,000.AGH University of Science and Technology homepage, AGH-UST staff and students, introduction. Retrieved on 2007-09-11. It was ranked by the Polish edition of Newsweek as the best technical university in the country for the year 2004.Countrywide ranking of Polish universities, Newsweek (Polish edition), 22.03.2004, "Uczelnie w/g typu. Politechniki". Retrieved on 2007-09-11. During its 80-year history, more than 73,000 students graduated from AGH with master\'s or bachelor\'s degrees. Some 3,600 persons were granted the degree of Doctor of Science, and about 900 obtained the qualification of Habilitated Doctor.Professor Antoni S. Kleczkowski, AGH University of Science and Technology. History of AGH-UST. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
Other institutions of higher learning include Cracow University of Economics, established in 1925;Kraków University of Economics homepage. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. Academy of Music in Kraków, first conceived as a conservatory in 1888; Pedagogical University, in operation since 1946;Akademia Pedagogiczna w Krakowie, homepage. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. Agricultural University of Cracow, offering courses since 1890 (initially as a part of Jagiellonian University);Akademia Rolnicza, homepage. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. Academy of Fine Arts, the oldest Fine Arts Academy in Poland, founded by the Polish painter Jan Matejko; Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts;Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna, homepage. Historical outline. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. The Pontifical Academy of Theology;Papieska Akademia Teologiczna, homepage in English. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. and Cracow University of Technology, which has more than 37,000 graduates.
Veit Stoss Altar, St. Mary\'s Church |
Ulica Floriańska (Florian Street) with the view of St. Mary\'s Church |
Kraków is considered by many to be the cultural capital of Poland.eter S. Green, CITY GUIDE:Krakow:Poland\'s Fun City,
