Over the centuries

1. 2. 3. 7. 9. 10. 17. 21.

Over the centuries, various factors have influenced the development of Wrocław (Wroclaw). At the dawn of its history, the city was already a centre of secular power and later, following Poland's conversion to Christianity, it also became the seat of the bishopric and ecclesiastical centre in the year 1000. Located at the cross-roads of important trade routes, Wrocław (Wroclaw) was - particularly in the Late Middle Ages - an important centre of commerce and trade. The first merchant company in the city was established in 1339. During the period of 1387-1474, Wrocław (Wroclaw) was a member of the Hanseatic League. The wealth and prominent social standing of the city's patriciate is confirmed by the fact that by the end of the l5th century they had bought estates occupying over 75% of the land around Wrocław (Wroclaw). In the Baroque period, the Counter-Reformation movement contributed to the restoration and significance of the Catholic Church; this was reflected in the foundation of many churches and monasteries. In the l9th century, as the seat of the provincial government of the important Province of Silesia, Wrocław (Wroclaw) flourished as a major economic and cultural centre. In the late l9th and early 20th century, its role as an industrial centre increased as well. From the commercial perspective, Wrocław (Wroclaw) was obviously a great market for local products but it also participated in the German national markets, particularly for mining industry products. Following the signing of an important commercial treaty, the city became a major shipping centre for exports to the Balkan countries, Turkey, and Egypt. Throughout its entire history, the city has also been the largest population centre in Silesia. In the l3th century Wrocław (Wroclaw) was one of Europe's biggest urban complexes with a geometrical layout (1100 x 1300 m). Thanks to its oval plan and a very regular chequer-board grid of streets, the layout was ideally suited for defence (relatively short fortified oval perimeter), traffic (straight streets), and commerce (three spacious market squares, including Rynek (Town Square) - 180 x 200 m, plac Solny (Salt Market) - 80 x 85 m, and Nowy Targ (New Market) - 126 x 108 m). It also allowed room for growth as it took several centuries to fill all the available plots with townhouses, commercial structures, and churches. By the end of the l5th century, there were already about six hundred houses in the city and Wrocław (Wroclaw) was certainly among the most populous towns in Europe. The city's most magnificent structure was the Town Hall, an unusual and splendid seat of the City Council (Phot. 1, 9, 10). The city's mediaeval centre has passed the test of time admirably, and for over seven centuries has remained the area that attracts the most investors and commercial activity, although the stalls existing at the turn of the century have given way to modern department stores (Phot. 2, 3).

The city's strategic location between branches of the slow-running Odra River, which forms many islands in the area, was utilized in the Middle Ages, when Wrocław (Wroclaw) was turned into a fortress. In early modern times, the system of defence was expanded and modernized and the entire city was surrounded by ramparts with bastions. One of the reminders today of the city's once impressive fortifications is the moat surrounding the historical centre, as well as the hills of the former Ceglarski Bastion ('The Brick Layers' Bastion') and Sakwowy Bastion ('The Pouch Bastion').

The extensive system of fortifications was a barrier to the city's spatial development. Significant population growth which occurred already in the l8th century, combined with a commercial and industrial crisis, contributed to the deterioration of living conditions: at the time Wrocław (Wroclaw) had a reputation of an overpopulated, filthy, and exceptionally unhealthy town.In 1807 the demolition of the fortifications opened a new chapter in the city's history. Building activity in the suburbs, which accelerated after 1871 with a boost from the war contributions levied by Prussia upon France, led to the development of densely populated quarters of tenement-houses, referred to as 'barracks for rent'. Most of those buildings were dull, eclectic structures but in several areas the architecture and composition were more creative, as exemplified by the splendid arrangements in the present-day Powstańców Śląskich (Powstancow Slaskich) Street (Phot. 7) and 1 Maja (May) Square.The fast-growing housing needs overwhelmed the city planners, who frequently had to limit their role to laying out new streets and subdividing land into lots. This is understandable considering that during the l9th century the city's population increased seven-fold, from 64,000 in 1800 to over 422,000 in 1900, mainly due to migration from neighbouring provinces. This city's growth rate matched that of Berlin, Germany's biggest city. By the early 20th century, Wrocław (Wroclaw) had become the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg, with a population of over 500,000.The main railway station built in 1855-57 exemplified a modern and far-sighted approach to urban development. Erected in the English Gothic Revival style, the splendid structure reflected the ambitions of a great European metropolis and provided a vital impulse for the development of the city's southern suburbs. With its inventive and functional design, it continues to serve its original purpose superbly even today (Phot. 17). In the 1920s, the city's character changed considerably with the development of several sate'llite suburbs, including the model housing estates of Sępolno (Sepolno) (Phot. 21) in the east, Ołtaszyn ( Oltaszyn) in the south, and Popowice in the west. The developments helped to alleviate the overpopulation problem in the historical centre.A similar intention was behind the building (after the Second World War) of several new huge complexes of high-rise blocks of flats in previously undeveloped areas of the western part of the city (Nowy Dwór (Nowy Dwor), Kozanów (Kozanow), new Popowice), but this did not stop the pressure on the centre of the city, which has remained its most populąr area.

Development and regress

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The city's development has been for the most part harmonious but there have also been some tragic moments. Wrocław has not been spared by the ravages of wars, internal conflicts, and natural disasters such as fires and floods, so frequently described by chroniclers. There have also been longer periods of disruption in development. Among the major disasters one has to mention epidemics, especially the 1633 outbreak of plague, brought to Wrocław by the Emperor's soldiers, when half of the city's population perished. The duality of municipal governance - ecclesiastical and secular - gave rise to the famous 'beer war' of 1380. The City Council defended the city's monopoly on the sale of beer against the Cathedral canons, who lived in Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island). As a result, an interdict (a church disciplinary measure) was imposed on the city's churches, which were subsequently pillaged. It took a papal bull to end the conflict. Another domestic crisis exploded in 1418, caused by tensions resulting from the enormous financial and social inequality between the patriciate and the lower urban classes (including the craftsmen). It culminated in a revolt and the beheading of mayor Nicholas.

The city's spatial development has not been free of disruptions, either. These have arisen from diverse historical causes. For example, in 1263 Duke Henry III founded the so-called New Town, located between branches of the Odra and Oława rivers, east of the original centre. The New Town was meant as competition for the economic power of the existing urban centre and its economy-based political muscle. However, incapable of offering equally advantageous commercial opportunities and limited in its spatial development, the town ceased to exist as an independent unit as early as 1327.The city's spatial development also reflected its changing fortunes, the moments of glory or relative decline. For example, the perimeter of the city walls actually erected in 1272 was much smaller than initially intended in 1261. Not until around 1330 did the city encompass all of the originally-planned areas. Relics of the inner moat the so-called inner Oława - were still in evidence in the early 20th century.The final months of the Second World War were the most tragic period in the history of Wrocław (Phot. 6, 7, 8). In August 1944, expecting an attack of the Soviet army, the Nazi authorities turned the city into a strong- hold. Many buildings were demolished. Part of the population was evacuated, others - including children - were forced to dig trenches and erect barricades. Three months of siege and heavy fighting resulted in the city being almost completely levelled. The southern and western districts were the hardest hit (destruction rate of 90%); the Old Town and the inner suburbs also suffered heavy damage (50%) as a result of crucial German defences being positioned among historical structures (for example, the main anti-aircraft battery was located in the Nowy Targ Square) and also from extensive demolition for the purposes of defence. For example, the area of the present-day Grunwaldzki Square was levelled to turn it into a military airfield, which was actually used only by a few aircraft, including the one aboard which the German commanding officer fled the besieged city. Statistics reflect the tragic destiny of the city turned fortress: 170,000 civilians and 6,000 German soldiers died during the siege and evacuation. Over 7,000 Soviet soldiers are buried in the military cemeteries in Wrocław.

The Wroclaw landmarks

4.	We hope that the 24 old and contemporary photo- graphs we present will help you to understand Wrocław, the city towards which not only the authors of this publication but also all of its former and present-day citizens have a definite attitude. Its beauty prompts many to reflect upon its history as well as its future. Often we anxiously ask visitors how they like our city. We ask those who come here repeatedly whether they see how the city is changing. This is how we see Wrocław: The Odra and its tributaries have always been a part of the city's life. It was not an accident that, over a thousand years ago, the history of the city began on the Cathedral Island on the Odra (Phot. 4, 11). The first fortified settlement and the cathedral were built here (Phot. 12, 13). Ten centuries later, in 1968, a statue of Pope John XXIII was erected on the Island, perhaps the first public papal statue in a communist country. From the river bank, one can see a striking view of the Cathedral Island, with the Cathedral and the collegiate Church of the Holy Cross, which was built as the mausoleum of the Silesian Duke Henry IV Probus, and of the nearby Wyspa Piaskowa (Sand Island), with the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Phot. 14), founded by the legendary Silesian magnate Piotr Włast. Thanks to its location along the Odra's northern bank, the monumental structure of the former Jesuit College (today's Universiry) is a dominant element in the city's panorama. Built in the first half of the l8th century on the site formerly occupied by the ducal castle, it may be viewed as a 'fortress of learning' (Phot. 15). The severiry of the building's façade, with its imposing mass enlivened only by delicate architectural detail, contrasts with the magnificent decoration of the interiors, including the former pharmacy, the grand staircase, and the striking Aula Leopoldina (Phot. 16). During the period between the First and Second World Wars, the government administration building was erected, also on the river bank. Today, it serves a similar function housing the offices of the voivodeship of Wrocław. The building's severe and monumental form is the visual expression of its original function as the 'fortress of authority', located on a concrete embankment of the regulated river (Phot. 19). With its interesting symmetrical layout, Sępolno, the model housing estate from the late 1920s-early 1930s, fits nicely into a 'peninsula' created between the Odra's old channel and a new navigable channel built in 1917 (Phot. 21 ). One of Wrocław's characteristic features is also the contrast between the busy centre and the large expanses of green areas in the suburbs. In one of such peripheral areas, east of the city centre and next to Szczytnicki Park (which opened to the public in 1854), an extensive exhibition complex was built in 1913 to commemorate the centennial of the victory over Napoleon in the famous Battle of Leipzig. Designed by Max Berg, the famous architect of the International Modern, the monumental Centennial Hall (today's Hala Ludowa - People's Hall) was a pioneering construction: for many years it remained the biggest reinforced concrete structure in the world (Phot. 20). Likewise, the parabolic concrete arches supporting the roof of the Covered Market (built in 1906-1908 on the site of the former 'Sand' Arsenal) were an example of a pioneering approach to structural design (Phot. 18). During the period separating the two World Wars, avant-garde architecture flourished in Wrocław. In 1929, the important WUWA ('Home and Work Place') architectural exhibition was organized here. Of several structures built for the exhibition, only some have retained their original charm. In contrast, the department store in today's Szewska Street, built in 1927-28 by the famous Expressionist architect Erich Mendelsohn, has lost nothing of its original splendour. The magnificent travertine faced façades, the rounded forms of the windows in the projecting corner resembling the bridge of a great oceanliner, still impress us with their moderniry (Phot. 22). From a relatively short time perspective, it is difficult to evaluate the city's contemporary architecture. We cannot be certain, how in some - say - seventy years people will view the controversial Solpol department store, whose construction next to the Gothic choir of St. Dorothy's Church was much debated at the time (Phot. 24). Considering the magnificent tradition of church architecture in Wrocław, contemporary church designers find themselves in a somewhat difficult position. Their task was made even more difficult by the fact that the new churches were built mostly during the 1980s, when the totalitarian system was still in power, albeit declining. The newly erected structures not only provided the architects with an opportunity to realize their previously frustrated artistic ambitions (which they sometimes overdid) but also served as a focus for social and political ambitions. For some time churches became the strongholds of the social resistance against communist and atheist propaganda. The people of Wrocław are divided over which of the new churches is the most beautiful. Certainly among the most successful projects are: the Church of the Holy Spirit in Bardzka Street, the Church of Christ the King in Zachodnia Street, and the Church of the Virgin of Mercy in Wejherowska Street (Phot. 23). This last structure, built of brick, provides a particularly vivid contrast to the monotonous concrete façades of the typical 1970s houses constructed of prefabricated concrete-slab elements. *** The specific character of Wrocław's architecture has been commented on many occasions. Authors stress an original combination of material and spiritual factors, noting the existence of numerous religious institutions, monasteries, Gothic churches, and Baroque colleges side by side with commercial establishments (there were several dozen department stores and specialty shops in Wrocław at the turn of the century) and other splendid, often pioneering examples of secular urban architecture. A look at the city's history helps us to see Wrocław as even more interesting and appealing. Its charm, however, still remains a little mysterious, even for the people who were born here.
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