Warsaw, Poland

By | November 25, 2021

According to abbreviationfinder, Warsaw is the capital of Poland to which Sigismund III (Zygmund III) moved the court from Krakow in 1596, it is one of the most important cities in Central Europe. It is the largest city in the country, with an urban population of 1,676,000 residents. (in 2004); the population of the metropolitan area amounts to 2,400,000 residents. She is known internationally for having given her name to the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Treaty and the Warsaw Uprising. See population of Poland.

It is located in the Mazovia region, at the same distance of 350 km from the Baltic Sea, the same distance that separates it from the Carpathians, and at an altitude of 100 meters above sea level. The Vistula River (Wisla in Polish) crosses the city from the southeast to the northwest.

History

The city of Warsaw was born relatively late when compared to other Polish cities. There is evidence of small settlements in the area but the first constructions of what came to be known as Varsoia were carried out in the middle of the 13th century where the Royal Palace is currently located. It was in the year 1413 when it became the capital of the Duchy of Mazovia and when the wall began to be built and a period of expansion of the city began towards the North where new residents, especially Jews, would settle. In 1526 the Duchy of Mazovia was annexed to the Kingdom of Poland and, in 1595 King Sigismund III transferred the royal court to Krakow to Warsaw and together with its geographical location, it became the capital of the Lithuanian-Polish Confederation that had been created in 1569 in the Union of Lublin. This stage of prosperity will also be accompanied by certain conflicts of coexistence between groups in the city such as merchants, Jews, wealthy, etc.

In the seventeenth century the city continued its geographical expansion as well as the aristocrats who built their residences in Warsaw to be close to the King.

Etymology

The name Warszawa comes from the possessive of the name Warsz, that is, Warszewa, Warszowa. According to popular etymology, the name comes from a poor fisherman named Wars and his wife, a mermaid named Sawa. Since the second half of the seventeenth century, the emblem of the city is said mermaid with a sword and a shield in her hands, and represents the creature that, according to legend, ordered the founding of the city.

The Old Town (Stare Miasto)

The Old Town of Warsaw is one of the most picturesque places in the capital. It was constituted at the end of the 13th century around the current Royal Castle, which was the residence of the Dukes of Mazovia and in World War II it was totally destroyed by the Nazis (like most of the city) to be later rebuilt until the smallest detail which has made it possible for the complex to have been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

The New Town (Nowe Miasto)

At first Nowe Miasto was called New Warsaw because when this area began to be urbanized in the 14th century, it began to occupy the space between the Old City and the town of Zakroczym on the banks of the Vistula, being an independent town from Warsaw until the 19th century. XVIII.

Nowe Miasto is one of the most popular areas in Warsaw today.

Culture palace

Built between 1952 and 1955, with its 231 meters (without the antenna) for years it was one of the tallest buildings in Europe. According to Stalin the palace of culture is a gift from the Soviet people to Poland, but the fact is that in his time it was considered by the Poles as a symbol of the domination of the USSR. This building is today the symbol of the city and is increasingly accepted naturally by the local population.

Prague neighborhood

It is the most “authentic” part of the city and where buildings and parts from before the world war are still preserved (in not very good condition).

Wilanów Palace

Baroque in style, built in the mid- seventeenth century by Augustyn Locci commissioned by King Jan III Sobieski to make the summer residence.

Poland Society

Culture

Polish culture has been influenced by both Eastern and Western culture. Today this is evident in its architecture, folklore and art. Poland is the birthplace of several well-known personalities, such as Marie Curie, Frédéric Chopin, and Nicolás Copernicus, among others.

Idiom

The Polish is the official language and is used almost the entire population. There are a number of dialects, some of which are intermediate between Polish and German or between Polish and Ukrainian. The Polish language uses the Latin alphabetwith some additional letters.

Education

Poland has a great tradition of educational achievement. Education is free and compulsory between the ages of 7 and 14. By the end of the eighth year of the elementary level, almost all children enter the secondary school system. About 20% of these students attend secondary schools that prepare them for entry to the university level. The country has 124 institutions of higher education among which there are 11 universities, 32 technical schools and 12 medical academies.

Sports

Many are the most popular sports in Poland. The football is the most popular of the country, with a rich history of international competition. Volleyball, track and field, basketball, boxing, fencing, handball, ice hockey, swimming, and weightlifting, among others, are also popular. The country together with Ukraine organized the Euro 2012 soccer tournament.

Parties

  • May 2nd. National Flag Day
  • May 3. Day of the constitution
  • August 15. Asunción and Armed Forces Day
  • August 31st. Solidarity and Freedom Day
  • November 11. Independence Day

Warsaw, Poland