Wrocław – Old Breslau’s Silesian Heart
Forming the industrial heartland of Central Europe, along with the Czech lands, Silesia has been split and fought over by all great powers including the Austrian Habsburgs, Prussians, Germans and Poles. Filled with resources such as coal, the railroads to move product and factories to produce, it is no wonder why it has been so highly prized and at its center stands a gemstone of a city, a jewel in a monarch’s cap and that is Wrocław also known under its German name Breslau.
Built heavily of masonry, this industrial powerhouse turned university town has emerged from the horrors of war only to excel in the 21st century.
Table of Contents
- Geography
- A Brief History
- Transportation
- What to do in Wrocław
- Nightlife and Food
- Day Trips
- Conclusion
Geography
As previously mentioned, the city is in the confines of historic Silesia, an important industrial region of Central Europe. It has been an important trade node for both the Via Regia and the Amber Road.
The city itself is built on the banks of the mighty Oder River, an important landmark that will help you distinguish what district you are in. South of the river you will find the Old Town and the Train Station just outside and to the south of the preserved moat that delineates that part of the city. On the north side of the river you will find the oldest part of the city, Ostrów Tumski and the 19th century midtown of Nadodrze while in the center of the river you will find three prominent islands.
A Brief History
Contested by empires, the city has attracted both rivalry and conflict over its long life, this is especially true of the long running rivalry between the Kingdom of Poland and the German people.
Antiquity, Slavic Migrations and Early Medieval Period
Although the ancient city of Budorigum – a settlement in antiquity – was built nearby, its history would really begin to take shape when the during the Slavic Migrations of the 7th century, the West Slavic group called the Ślężans (Silesians) moved in and established a fortified gord on is known as Ostrów Tumski today. The territory may have subsequently belonged to the Great Moravian empire, the ancestors to the Slovak people.
Polish Rule and the Mongols
The city itself was founded around 940 A.D but was soon taken by the the Grand Duke of Poland Mieszko I of Poland in the year 985 A.D. The city remained within the confines of the Kingdom of Poland until 1335, with the exception of a brief stint within the Kingdom of Bohemia. This 350 years of polish domination proved fruitful, with the Polish Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth defeating the King of Germany Henry V at the Battle of Hundsfeld, nearby. Therefore preserving Wroclaw and Silesia as part of the Polish Realm. For a period the Kingdom of Poland was divided, with Wroclaw serving as one of its centers.
The biggest challenge the city faced in these years was the approach of the Mongols in 1241. To stave them off the city was burned to the ground and the poles held out in the castle successfully. During reconstruction the Grand Duke appointed a German mayor to help rebuild the city, now Breslau and Germans began to repopulate it. By 1261 it had acquired its Magdeburg Rights (city privileges), slowly Germanizing.
Kingdom of Bohemia, Hungarians and the House Habsburgs
In 1335 John of Luxembourg, ruler of the Kingdom of Bohemia, took Silesia. His son, the famed Charles IV incorporated the city into the Holy Roman Empire. By 1337 the use of Polish was banned. In 1387 the city joined the Hanseatic League (leaving in 1474), a commercial arrangement of German cities around Northern Germany and the Baltic region. The city was damaged in a 1443 earthquake.
Wrocław was incorporated in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1469, with legend having it that the legendary king Matthias Corvinus had a local mistress whose entanglement produced a son. The city resisted an assault from a combined Polish-Czech 1474 that resulted in a ceasefire signed in a nearby village called Muchobór Wielki. The city remained Hungarian until after the death of Louis II at the hands of the Ottomans in the Battle of Mohács in 1526.
The Habsburg monarchy (Austrians) inherited Silesia along with the remaining Hungarian Lands. This was a turbulent period, at the start of the 17th century the region revolted along with neighboring Bohemia in order to protect its religious freedom from the staunchly catholic Habsburgs. Then during the Thirty Years’ War, the city was occupied by troups from nearby Saxony as well as Sweden. It also suffered from the plague. Despite the counter-reformation the city remained protestant.
After the initial tumult, the city became the center of German Baroque literature, developed actuarial science and was home to a school of poets.
Prussia and the Napoleonic Confederation of the Rhine
The Kingdom of Prussia annexed Silesia during the War of the Austrian Succession, the gains of witch were confirmed at the Treaty of Breslau in 1742. Austria failed to retake the region during the Seven Years’ War culminating in the Battle of Breslau but the city remained in the Prussian realm, with only a brief stint in the Confederation of the Rhine, a Napoleonic puppet state. The city did well in this arrangement however. As a testament to this the city demolished its walls, in order to expand. It also became a major industrial centre (for linen, cotton and metals) and a hub for the railways. It also became a center of knowledge which paired well with its newly reconstructed university. As part of the reform process, Monasteries were closed down and their wealth seized.
During the 19th century the city became a hub for secretive Polish resistance movements and the seat of a Polish uprising committee that led to the January Uprising of 1863–1864 after the Russian Partition of Poland. The Poles in the city helped their counterparts in Russian Occupied Poland with acts of solidarity and the funnelling of both weapons and insurgents. In response the Prussians cracked down despite the fact that in the city both working class Poles and Germans were in flavor of the uprising (I saw working class to exclude the German aristocracy that largely sided with Russia).
German Empire and the World Wars
In 1871 Germany was unified and Breslau was the sixth-largest city in the German Empire. Most of its population was German but there was an important Jewish presence community, represented by eminent men such as the scientists William Stern, who introduced the concept of IQ. Unfortunately this period also coincided with a rather less soft German nationalism that will be explored shortly. This was in strong contrast to its early days in the German empire when the city served as a bastion of left wing liberalism.
Poland gained independence in 1918 after the First World War, adding new pressures in civic life. After a 1920 Polish uprising in Upper Silesia, Polish institutions were demolished and poles moved to the new Polish borders where they were welcomed. It was not only anti-polish riots. In 1923 Antisemitic riots took place, a grim foreshadowing of the Holocaust in the Second World War. A major event in the German world took place here when the Deutsche Kampfspiele, was held. Germany was excluded from the Olympic Games after World War I and this event was their answer to this problem.
The city became an important support base for the Nazi Party, where in the 1932 elections it took 44% percent of the vote, their third-highest total in all Germany. In 1938 the National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise held the Deutsches Turn-und-Sportfest, a sporting event, in the city.
At the start of the war both work camps and concentration camps were operated in the city including four subcamps of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp. Germans then proceeded with mass arrests of local Polish activists and banned Polish organizations. The hatred of the Jew and the Pole ran so deep that during the war they looted the bodies of medieval Polish monarchs and local dukes to carry out to demonstrate German racial supremacy and purity. The remains have not been recovered. This prompted the creation of a Polish resistance group called Olimp. By 1945 the Reich was doomed and the city faced a destructive three month assault during the Siege of Breslau.
Soviet Poland and the Modern Era
After the war, the city was in tatters having been bombed heavily during the conflict. The Potsdam Agreement put the city firmly back into Polish lands and the town’s German inhabitants who had not fled were expelled (1945 – 1949). They were displaced by Eastern Poles themselves displaced by the Soviet Authorities. The Soviet authorities for their part made sure to erase any trace of the city’s German past.
The Communist years were a disaster with a Smallpox quarantining the city in 1963 (I know… 21st century Smallpox!). From 1981-1983, Poland was under Martial Law. This prompted the growth of underground organizations such as Fighting Solidarity and Orange Alternative within the city limits. The streak of poor luck continued in the early post-Soviet years, where the city saw damage due to the massive 1997 millennium flood.
In 21st century, Wrocław has come to terms with its German heritage. Not only has much of the city been rebuilt but it has embracing the Austrian and Prussian aspects of the city’s history. In 2016, Wrocław was declared the European Capital of Culture, a symbolic win for a comeback city!
Transportation
Home to a reasonably sized airport named after Copernicus. Wrocław is privy to some great low cost connections and with that airport being Airport just 10km outside the city centre, it is a breeze to get to.
Yet where the city really shines as a regional transportation hub. In this case you have two primary options, just to the south within walking distance of the old town, both trains and buses. The central rail terminal is Wrocław Główny, the castle like train station that is the busiest in Poland (and it was once one of the biggest in Germany). Główny, dates 1857 when it was one of the first stations with electrified railway services. As for buses your connections can be found in the underground terminal under the Wroclavia mall. Both serve international and domestic routes.
Within the city limits you will have access to both buses and tramways.
What to do in Wrocław
A university town it may be… but much more then a sleepy college town it is! Wrocław’s lively atmosphere is a testament to this fact. The city was an industrial giant with a legacy that far exceeds its many of its counterparts, yet the city is never mentioned in the same categories as those others.
Gnome City
A symbol of the city’s staunch anti communist past, these pint sized companions can be found scattered throughout the city. They are representative of Orange Alternative, a resistance group that dressed up as gnomes or painted pictures of them over government propaganda, in order to satirize the authorities.
The Old Town
The old town is defined by the area inside the zig-zagging moat that once lined the city walls. The moat remains, crossed by boulevards that now connect it to the rest of the city. in side of this area, the old German cahrecter of the city has either been preserved or reconstructed.
Mixed in with these structures are more recent additions such as the fabulous Feniks Department Store, added at the stat of the 20th century.
Along the river you will find the Aula Leopoldina College. The baroque yellow painted building dates from 1732, and attached to it is the Parish of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, built in the same style. This is a gorgeous complex that should be visited.
The old town is centered around the Wrocław Market Square, possibly one of the prettiest in Central Europe. Here you will find many colorful Hanseatic guild halls as well as a large town hall, painted in yellow.
In the square you will find many monuments including that to Alexander Fredro, the Polish Romantic-era poet, playwright and author as well as Pręgierz, infront of the city hall.
The oldest section of the city hall is located at south eastern portion of the large yellow square at the center of the square.
This ornate gothic building with a central clocktower was built from the 13th to the 16th century. It is the focal point of the Christmas market and is considered one of the symbols of the city.
Anchoring both side of the square, both east (St. Elizabeth of Hungary) and west (St. Elizabeth of Hungary with its iconic Bridge of Penitents) are two beautiful churches with fully accessible tower viewpoints giving great views of the square below. I do recommend the former more then the later so you can see two gothic homes called the Hansel and Gretel Houses.
Here are the views of the city taken the to of the 356 stairs of St. Elizabeth of Hungary’s tower. It was the principal Protestant church in Breslau from 1525 to 1945 and primarily served the German community, most Poles being proud Catholics.
South of the main square, you will find Plac Solny containing a WW2 air raid shelter called Moviegate and a flower market. Poland is well known for its gardening and due to its relatively cheap prices it attracts many German shoppers. Do go see the old University Library Building nearby, the neo-gothic masonry building is very pretty. It is also home to Conspira an 80’s themed polish restaurant honoring the Polish resistance against communism.
Other things you of note that could do in the old town is to visit the gorgeous Cathedral of St. Vincent and St. James and Wrocław Church and Monastery of St. Adalbert. You could also visit the Nowy Targ Square to see true communist ugly or visit the Galeria FOTO-GEN, housed in what is left of an old masonry structure buried under a communist era monstrosity.
Nadodrze
Known for its hipster charm, this up-and coming 19th century neighbourhood on the north side of the Oder river oozes with charm. The lively district is known for its many murals, used to revitalize the decaying streetscape.
On the ground floor of these buildings you will usually find an interesting business. There are two primary public places, the oval shaped Square St. Matthias to the south and the less quaint Staszic Park to the north. It is here that history buffs will find Wrocław Nadodrze. A red brick train station, with a spooky fell, it is where the Jews were deported from during the Second World War.
The Islands
Sandwiched between the old town and Nadodrze above it, the islands were once at the center of industry, criss crossed by canals and other waterworks.
The Oder river flows as it always did, between those islands, providing an escape from the busy city district. Much of the history has been reduced to dust, but in recent years the islands are taking back their shape. Although some are used as parks interconnected by structures such as the Słodowa Footbridge, other are being revitalized with new constructions mimicking the part such as in the case of the Maria Mill building.
The islands will aslo give you great views of the old town from the water including the stunning Aula Leopoldina building, the Parish of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and the University of Wroclaw campus.
In the summertime boat tours flow past and beer gardens spring up on the banks of the river.
Other historic buildings of note include the Church Sts. Cyril and Methodius and the much larger Church of St Mary on the Sand dating from the 14th century. These are located on Wyspa Piasek (Sand Island)
The famed Tumski Bridge connects the islands to Tumski and the famed Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
At the eastern point of Wyspa Piasek you will have a public pace with great views of Ostrów Tumski.
All the while the red painted Sand Bridge takes you to the opposite shore.
Ostrów Tumski
Across from Wyspa Piasek, you till ford the Tumski bridge enter a land of wonder where major churches dominate the main street and elegant gardens line the edges of the neighborhood. The 19th century bridge is a proud reminder of the industrial heritage of the city.
The tree lined Katedralna leads to the most beautiful and grandiose church in the city, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. present cathedral was built under Přemyslid rule in the mid-10th century
You will also find a series of ecclesiastical buildings both gothic styled and baroque including the archbishop’s palace. Be sure to check out the Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin. This 14th century building is the only remaining part of the medieval Piast dynasty (polish ) left in Tumski.
Before entering the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, do check out the surrounding alleys for their varied display of medieval gothic and baroque architecture, playfully interplaying.
Make sure to check out the Brama kluskowa gate and the old seminary buildings.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist itself is home to an enormous naïve and is the most interesting Church in the city.
Taking the elevator up to the roof you will find a picture of the naïve after the wartime bombing of the city in 1945. As you can see the restoration work has been impeccable.
In the roof you will find a collection of African artifacts (of all things!) and on the ground floor religious artifacts.
The site of the cathedral is that of the original cathedral built by the Czech Přemyslid dynasty in the 10th century. The the 13th century building you see today has undergone many changes over the years, including a major renovation after both a 16th and a 18th century fire.
From its roof you will get great views of the city including the riverside gardens and the botanical gardens belonging to the university.
East Old Town Wrocław
In this section we look at the area east of Piaskowa Street, a distinct part of the old town best known for its museums and cultural spaces. A few parts of the old fortifications still exist but it has mostly been covered by Juliusz Słowacki Park.
Xawery Dunikowski Promenade
In the eastern part of the old town, you will you will find a wonderful pedestrian boulevard along the water called Xawery Dunikowski. This greenway offers great waterfront views of Ostrów Tumski.
Bastion Ceglarski Ruins
Near the river you will find the ruins of a 16th century military masonry bastion that was once part of the city fortifications, near the little parts that are left of the moat.
Museums (National Museum in Wrocław, Museum of Architecture and the Racławice Panorama)
Housed in the eastern part of the old town are the most important pieces of Wrocław’s cultural history, the notable of which is the Racławice Panorama, witch is in fact a cyclorama. Housed in an ugly concrete building it is a 360-degree painting of an event: the Battle of Raclawice. after buying a ticket you will be ushered into the painting where a narrator will walk you through the elements of the battle and their significant, as well as the fascinating history of the painting itself. It is by far my favorite attractions in the city.
This piece of 19th century mass media depicts the above-mentioned battle in which Polish national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko defeated the imperial Russian army in 1794 as part of a famous uprising against the latter. Nearly a century after the battle took place, the painters Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak began this project in Lwów with the help of several other artists. Yet if you look at a map today, you will not be able to find any place by the name of Lwów. A similar sounding Lviv is however found in Western Ukraine, and they are in fact the same place. It begs the question of why a Polish painting was commissioned in today’s Ukraine, furthermore, why did it disappear from public display and how did it end up in a different city altogether?
It was built for the General National Exhibition of 1894 in Lviv (then polish Lwów) and was intended as a window into Poland for the world. At the time the Poles were a stateless people, long partitioned between the great powers. This exhibition presented an opportunity to solidify a case for a Polish nationhood to the rest of the world. The painting is in the style of Romanticized realism and proudly displays many national symbols as subtext. Prominently displayed is the hero, Tadeusz Kościuszko on horseback leading peasants with a scythe. A dashing figure he is a symbol of liberal revolt against an oppressive larger power. A child of the French Enlightenment he fought in the American Revolution and returned to save his people. This prominent placement of both Tadeusz and the peasants may be due to the influence of the Revolutions of 1848, a liberal movement seeking to topple the absolutist monarchies in Europe. Both in Ukraine and Poland this manifested itself in a fight against serfdom, a cause that Tadeusz also shared. The peasant is important in both Ukrainian and Polish mythology.
The painting is in the style of Romanticized realism and proudly displays many national symbols as subtext. In Appendix A you will see Polish national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko on horseback leading peasants with a scythe. A dashing figure he is a symbol of liberal revolt against an oppressive larger power. A child of the French Enlightenment he fought in the American Revolution and returned to save his people. This prominent placement of both Tadeusz and the peasants may be due to the influence of the Revolutions of 1848, a liberal movement seeking to topple the absolutist monarchies in Europe. Both in Ukraine and Poland this manifested itself in a fight against serfdom, a cause that Tadeusz also shared. The peasant is important in both Ukrainian and Polish mythology. It was only put back on display in the late 80’s.
If you still wish to see museums after the shock and awe of the panorama, you can visit the National Museum in Wrocław, Museum of Architecture, the former being housed in a magnificent glass covered courtyard.
Market Hall (Hala Targowa)
If you like food, check out the market hall on Piaskowa Street. This 20th century shell houses a wonderfull assortment of fresh food vendors.
Nightlife and Food
As a student town, there is always a lot to do after hours in Wrocław. Unlike most European old town, the city center is the hub of this activity featuring great live music bars and electric clubs!
If you prefer the latter make sure to check out pasaż Niepolda (Four Denominations District), located on the east side of the old town. This alleyway is home to many nightclubs and glowing signs.
This is a place with a real alternative scene and some of the masonry buildings make for great venues.
There are a lot of great restaurants in town but I recommend Konspira (Conspiracy!). Located in the old town the place was flanked by anti-Putin imagery which drew me in immediately.
The restaurant itself was a refuge for anti communists during the years of occupation and even includes a small museum dedicated to the history of the building during that time.
Day Trips
Książ Castle
This lavish renaissance castle is one of the largest in Poland and constrains a dark Nazi secret. For history buffs, Książ Castle is a must!
Conclusion
The masonry clad city is a beautiful cacophony of soaring church spires, industrial river islands and pristine cobblestone streets. I only wish I could have seen it before the destruction of the Second World War. It is absolutely one of the best places to visit in Poland and I would highly recommend it!
