Wrocław

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Wrocław

— municipiu —

Wrocław

Drapel
Stemă

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Wrocław (Polonia)

Poziția geografică în Polonia

Coordonate: 51°06′28″N 17°02′07″E

Țară Polonia

Voievodat Silezia Inferioară

Atestare 1214

Guvernare

- Stadtpräsident von Wrocław[*] Jacek Sutryk[*] (19

noiembrie 2018)

Altitudine 155 m.d.m.

Populație (2017)

- Total 638.586 locuitori

Fus orar UTC+1

Cod poștal 50-041

Prefix telefonic 71

Localități înfrățite

- 16 orașe înfrățite listă

Prezență online

site web oficial

GeoNames
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Poziția localității Wrocław

Modifică date / text

Wrocław ( pronunție (ajutor·info), în cehă Vratislav, în germană Breslau (ajutor·info),

în latină Vratislavia, în maghiară Boroszló) este un municipiu din Voievodatul Silezia de Jos, Polonia,
situat pe râul Odra. Are o populație de 632.996 locuitori (în 2010) și o suprafață de 292,9 km², fiind
cel mai mare oraș din vestul Poloniei.
Wrocław a fost capitală a Sileziei, în prezent fiind capitala Voievodatului Silezia de Jos.
„Hala Centenarului” din Wrocław a fost înscrisă în anul 2006 pe lista patrimoniului cultural
mondial UNESCO.

Cuprins

 1Geografie
 2Transport
 3Economie și dezvoltare
 4Demografie
 5Districte administrative
 6Personalități
 7Galerie de imagini
 8Orașe înfrățite
 9Legături externe
 10Vezi și

Geografie[modificare | modificare sursă]

Wrocław în 1642

Wrocław este situat la sud de Munții Trzebnica și la nord de Munții Sudeți, pe râul Odra. Aflat între
numeroase canale, orasul este construit pe 12 insulițe, conectate prin 100-300 de poduri (depinde de
criterii). Din cauza numeroaselor canale și poduri orașul este, de asemenea, numit și Veneția
poloneză. Wrocław este orașul cu cel mai mult spațiu verde din Polonia. Orașul are o suprafață totală
de 293 km², din care zonele construite ocupă 114 km².

Transport[modificare | modificare sursă]

Orașul dispune de o rețea de transport în comun formată din linii de autobuz și 22 de linii de tramvai.
Ca în multe alte orașe europene, programul mijloacelor de transport în comun este afișat în stații și
poate fi consultat pe internet. În stațiile importante, mai ales cele din centrul orașului, ora de sosire a
autobuzelor și a tramvaielor este anunțată pe mari panouri cu leduri.
Gara centrală (Wroclaw Główny) leagă Wrocław de principalele orașe
poloneze, Varșovia via Łódź, Cracovia via Katowice, Szczecin si Gdańsk via Poznań precum și
de Berlin, Dresda, Praga, Kiev și Viena. Gara a fost renovată și modernizată între anii 2010-2012,
devenind una din atracțiile turistice ale orașului. În spatele gării se află autogara de unde
pleacă autocare spre majoritatea orașelor poloneze și spre Europa.
Autostrada (al cărei tronson vestic a fost construit înainte de cel de-al doilea război mondial și
modernizat la sfârșitul anilor '90) leagă Wrocław de Germania și Ucraina.
Orașul dispune de o centură ocolitoare cu o lungime de 26,8 km (A8, în poloneză Autostradowa
Obwodnica Wrocławia), cu acces la aeroportul internațional Nicolaus Copernicus Wroclaw Airport.
Acesta deservește orașele poloneze prin compania națională LOT, iar pe cele internaționale
prin Lufthansa, SAS, Ryanair sau Wizzair.

Economie și dezvoltare[modificare | modificare sursă]

Wrocław este cel mai important centru economic și administrativ al Sileziei de Jos, cunoscând o
dezvoltare rapidă după căderea comunismului în 1989. Salariul mediu brut este de 3521,67 PLN,
adica aproximativ 860 EUR (2012), iar rata șomajului de 5.8 % (2012), adică mai puțin de jumătate
din rata medie a șomajului din Silezia de Jos (13.5%). In 2012 suprafața totala a clădirilor de birouri
era de 386 000 mp, plus 107 000 mp în construcție, atingând astfel cea mai puternica activitate de
construcții din regiune. In anul 2012 au fost închiriați 72 000 mp, în mare parte către mari companii
multinaționale.

Demografie[modificare | modificare sursă]

Wrocław are 631 188 locuitori (2012), fiind cel de-al patrulea oraș polonez din acest punct de vedere
(5.8% din totalul de 10 872 963 locuitori, după Varșovia, Cracovia și Łódź). Densitatea populației
este de 2 156 locuitori/km2 față de 3 317 locuitori/km în Varșovia sau 2 320 în Cracovia. In 2012, la
100 de bărbați au fost înregistrate 114 femei. Au avut loc 3 157 căsătorii, 6 126 nașteri și 6 487
decese, sporul populației fiind negativ (-361 persoane).
Districte administrative[modificare | modificare sursă]
Wrocław este divizat în 5 entități distincte, fiecare cu propriul corp administrativ:

 Stare Miasto
 Śródmieście
 Psie Pole
 Krzyki
 Fabryczna

Fântâna „Szermierz” din Wrocław (1904)

Personalități[modificare | modificare sursă]

 Piotr Włostowic (1080-1153), palatin regal;
 Willibald Alexis (1798-1871), scriitor de limbă germană;
 Fritz Haber (1868-1934), chimist evreu, laureat al Premiului Nobel pentru Chimie (1918)
 Max Born (1882-1970), matematician și fizician evreu, laureat al Premiului Nobel pentru
Fizică (1954);
 Käthe Kruse (1883-1968, actriță, păpușară;
 Edith Stein (1891-1942), gânditoare evreică, victimă a nazismului;
 Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), pastor luteran, victimă a nazismului;
 Reinhard Selten (1930-2016), economist, laureat al Premiului Nobel pentru Economie;
 Hugo Steinhaus (1887 - 1972), matematician și dascăl polonez;
 Wanda Rutkiewicz (1942-1992), alpinistă;
 Rafał Kubacki (n. 1967), judoka polonez;
 Eduard Buchner (1860 - 1917), biolog și chimist german, laureat al Premiului Nobel pentru
Chimie;
 Paul Ehrlich (1854 - 1915), om de știință evreu-german, laureat al Premiului Nobel pentru
Medicină și Fiziologie; a descoperit primul medicament împotriva sifilisului;
 Gerhart Hauptmann (1912), dramaturg;
 Friedrich Bergius (1884, 1949), cercetător chimist german, care a inventat un proces de
transformare a cărbunilor în petrol și a lemnului în zahăr;
 Otto Stern (1888 - 1969), fizician german american, distins cu Premiul Nobel pentru Fizică;
 Heimann Hariton Tiktin (1850 - 1936), profesor de lingvistică, lingvist, lexicograf, gramatician,
autor de dicționare, membru de onoare al Academiei Române.

Galerie de imagini[modificare | modificare sursă]




 


 

Orașe înfrățite[modificare | modificare sursă]

 Wiesbaden, Germania din 1987
 Breda, Olanda din 1991
 Grodno, Belarus din 1991
 Ramat Gan, Israel din 1997
 Liov, Ucraina din 2002
 Kaunas, Lituania din 2003
 Hradec Králové, Cehia din 2003
 Araucária, Brasil din 2006
 Lille, Franța din 2009

Wrocław
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Not to be confused with Bratislava, Břeclav, Braslaw or Bratslav.
"Breslau" redirects here. For other uses, see Breslau (disambiguation).

Wrocław
 Left to right: Ostrów Tumski with Wrocław Cathedral
 Old Town Hall
 Puppet Theater
 Market Square and St. Elizabeth's Church
 Monopol Hotel
 Wrocław Główny railway station
 University of Wrocław

Flag

Coat of arms

Motto(s):
Wrocław: miasto spotkań (Polish "Wrocław – The Meeting Place")
 Wrocław
Show map of Lower Silesian Voivodeship Show map of
Poland Show map of Europe Show all
Coordinates: 51°6′N 17°2′ECoordinates: 51°6′N 17°2′E

Country Poland
Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship
County city county

Established 10th century

City rights 1214

Government
• Mayor Jacek Sutryk (KO)

Area
• City 292.92 km2 (113.10 sq mi)

Highest elevation 155 m (509 ft)

Lowest elevation 105 m (344 ft)

Population
(30 June 2019)
• City 641,607 (4th)[1]
• Metro 1,164,600
• Demonym Vratislavian

Time zone UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)

Postal code 50-041 to 54-612

Area code(s) +48 71
 Car plates DW, DX

Website www.wroclaw.pl

Wrocław (UK: /ˈvrɒtswɑːf/, US: /ˈvrɔːts-wɑːf, -lɑːf, -lɑːv/,[2][3][4] Polish: [ˈvrɔtswaf] (

listen); German: Breslau [ˈbʁɛslaʊ] ( listen); Czech: Vratislav; Latin: Vratislavia) is a city in
western Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the
River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, roughly 350 kilometres (220 mi) from
the Baltic Sea to the north and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the Sudeten Mountains to the south. The
population of Wrocław in 2019 was 641,607, making it the fourth-largest city in Poland and the main
city of the Wrocław agglomeration.[1]
Wrocław is the historical capital of Silesia and Lower Silesia. Today, it is the capital of the Lower
Silesian Voivodeship. The history of the city dates back over a thousand years, and its extensive
heritage combines almost all religions and cultures of Europe.[5] At various times, it has been part of
the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Bohemia, Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg
Monarchy, Prussia and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945, as a result of
the border changes after the Second World War, which included a nearly complete exchange of
population.
Wrocław is a university city with a student population of over 130,000, making it one of the most
youthful cities in the country.[6] Since the beginning of the 20th century, the University of Wrocław,
previously Breslau University, produced 9 Nobel Prize laureates[7] and is renowned for its high quality
of teaching.[8]
Wrocław is classified as a Gamma- global city by GaWC.[9] It was placed among the top 100 cities in
the world for the Mercer Quality of Living Survey [10] and in the top 100 of the smartest cities in the
world in the IESE Cities in Motion Index 2017 and 2019 report.[11] Wrocław also possesses numerous
historical landmarks such as the Main Market Square, Cathedral Island and the Centennial Hall,
which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city hosted the Eucharistic Congress in 1997 and the Euro 2012 football championships. In
2016, the city was a European Capital of Culture and the World Book Capital. Also in this year,
Wrocław hosted the Theatre Olympics, World Bridge Games and the European Film Awards. In
2017, the city was the host of the IFLA Annual Conference and the World Games.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Middle Ages
o 2.2Renaissance, Reformation and Counter-Reformation
o 2.3Napoleonic Wars
o 2.4Prussia and Germany
o 2.5Second World War
o 2.6After the war
 3Environment
o 3.1Air pollution
o 3.2Climate
o 3.3Fauna
o 3.4Water
 4Government and politics
 o 4.1Districts
o 4.2Municipal government
 5Tourism
o 5.1Landmarks and points of interest
o 5.2Swimming
o 5.3Shopping malls
o 5.4Entertainment
o 5.5Museums
 6Wrocław in literature
 7Education
 8Transport
o 8.1Roads
o 8.2Air transport
o 8.3Rail
o 8.4Coach
o 8.5City transport
o 8.6Bike
o 8.7Personal transporter
o 8.8Other
 9Demographics
o 9.1Population
o 9.2Religion
 10Professional sports
o 10.1Men's sports
o 10.2Women's sports
 11Economy
 12Major corporations
 13International relations
o 13.1Twin towns and sister cities
o 13.2Partnerships
 14Gallery
 15Notable people
 16See also
 17References
o 17.1Notes
o 17.2Bibliography
 17.2.1English language
 17.2.2Polish language
 17.2.3German language
 18External links

Etymology[edit]
The city's name was first recorded as "Wrotizlava" in the chronicle of German chronicler Thietmar of
Merseburg, which mentions it as a seat of a newly installed bishopric in the context of the Congress
of Gniezno. The first municipal seal stated Sigillum civitatis Wratislavie. A simplified name is given, in
1175, as Wrezlaw, Prezla or Breslaw. The Czech spelling was used in Latin documents
as Wratislavia or Vratislavia. At that time, Prezla was used in Middle High German, which
became Preßlau. In the middle of the 14th century, the Early New High German (and later New High
German) form of the name, Breslau, began to replace its earlier versions.
The city is traditionally believed to be named after Wrocisław or Vratislav, often believed to be named
after Duke Vratislaus I of Bohemia. It is also possible that the city was named after the tribal duke of
the Silesians or after an early ruler of the city called Vratislav.
The city's name in various other languages is: Hungarian: Boroszló, Czech: Vratislav, German:
Breslau, Hebrew: ‫( ורוצלב‬Vrotsláv), Yiddish: ‫( ברעסלוי‬Bresloi), Silesian German: Brassel,
and Latin: Vratislavia or Budorgis[12] or Wratislavia.[13] The city's name in other languages is available
at the list of names of European cities.
Persons born or living in the city are known as "Vratislavians" (Polish: wrocławianie).

History[edit]
Main articles: History of Wrocław and Timeline of Wrocław
In ancient times, a place called Budorigum was at or near Wrocław's location. It has been mapped
to Claudius Ptolemy's map of AD 142–147.
The city of Wrocław originated at the intersection of two trade routes, the Via Regia and the Amber
Road.
Settlements in the area existed from the 6th century onward during the migration period.
The Ślężans, a Slavic tribe, settled on the Oder and erected a gord on Ostrów Tumski.
The city was first recorded in the 10th century as Vratislavia, the Bohemian duke Vratislaus I founded
here a Bohemian stronghold.[14] Vratislavia was possibly derived from the duke's name Vratislav. In
985, Duke Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia including Wrocław. The town was mentioned
explicitly in the year 1000 AD in connection with a founding of a bishopric during the Congress of
Gniezno.
Middle Ages[edit]

Church of Saint Giles (pl) erected in the 1220s at Ostrów Tumski, the oldest section of Wrocław

The medieval chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum, written by Gallus Anonymus in 1112–1116,
named Wrocław, along with Kraków and Sandomierz, as one of the three capitals of the Polish
Kingdom.
During Wrocław's early history, the control over it changed hands between Bohemia (until 992, then
1038–1054), the Kingdom of Poland (992–1038 and 1054–1202), and after the fragmentation of the
Kingdom of Poland, the Piast-ruled duchy of Silesia. One of the most important events during this
period was the foundation of the Diocese of Wrocław by the Polish Duke (from 1025 King) Bolesław
the Brave in 1000. Along with the Bishoprics of Kraków and Kołobrzeg, Wrocław was placed under
the Archbishopric of Gniezno in Greater Poland, founded by Pope Sylvester II through the
intercession of the Emperor Otto III in 1000, during the Congress of Gniezno. In the years 1034–
1038 the city was affected by Pagan reaction in Poland.[15]
The oldest printed text in the Polish language – Statuta Synodalia Episcoporum Wratislaviensis, printed in
Wrocław by Kasper Elyan, 1475

The city became a commercial centre and expanded to Wyspa Piasek (Sand Island), and then to the
left bank of the River Oder. Around 1000, the town had about 1,000 inhabitants.[16] In 1109 during
the Polish-German war, Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth defeated the King of Germany Henry V at
the Battle of Hundsfeld, stopping the German march into Poland. By 1139, a settlement belonging to
Governor Piotr Włostowic (also known as Piotr Włast Dunin) was built, and another was founded on
the left bank of the River Oder, near the present seat of the University. While the city was Polish,
there were also communities of Bohemians, Jews, Walloons[15] and Germans.[17]
In the 13th century, Wrocław was the political centre of the divided Polish kingdom.[18] In April 1241,
during the First Mongol invasion of Poland the city was abandoned by the inhabitants and burned for
strategic reasons. During the battles with the Mongols the Wrocław Castle was defended by Henry II
the Pious and was never captured.[19]
After the Mongol invasion the town was partly populated by German settlers[20] who, in the following
centuries, would gradually become its dominant ethnic group; the city, however, retained its multi-
ethnic character, a reflection of its position as an important trading city on the Via Regia and
the Amber Road.[21]

St Martin's Church, the only remainder of a medieval Piast stronghold that once stood in Wrocław

With the influx of settlers the town expanded and adopted in 1242 German town law. The city
council used Latin and German, and "Breslau", the Germanized name of the city, appeared for the
first time in written records.[20] The enlarged town covered around 60 hectares (150 acres), and the
new main market square, which was surrounded by timber frame houses, became the new centre of
the town. The original foundation, Ostrów Tumski, became the religious centre. The city
adopted Magdeburg rights in 1261. The Polish Piast dynasty[22] remained in control of the region, but
the right of the city council to govern independently increased. In 1274 the prince Henryk IV
Probus gave the city the staple right.
Wrocław, which for 350 years belonged to the Polish, after the death of Henry VI the Good in 1335
was incorporated into the Kingdom of Bohemia, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Between 1342 and 1344, two fires destroyed large parts of the city. The city joined the Hanseatic
League in 1387.
On 5 June 1443, the city was affected by an earthquake of the strength of at least 6 on the Richter
scale, which destroyed or seriously damaged many buildings in the city. From 1469 to 1490 it was
part of the Kingdom of Hungary and the King of Hungary Matthias Corvinus even had a mistress from
the city with whom he had a son. In 1474, the city left the Hanseatic League.
In 1475, Kasper Elyan printed in Wrocław Statuta Synodalia Episcoporum Wratislaviensium, first in
the history of printing in the Polish language, it contains three Catholic prayers.
Renaissance, Reformation and Counter-Reformation[edit]

Map of the city from 1562, with its fortifications around the Oder River

The Protestant Reformation reached the town in 1518 and the city became Protestant. However,
from 1526 Silesia was ruled by the Catholic House of Habsburg. In 1618, it supported the Bohemian
Revolt out of fear of losing the right to freedom of religious expression. During the ensuing Thirty
Years' War, the city was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops, and lost 18,000 of 40,000 citizens
to plague.
The Austrian emperor brought in the Counter-Reformation by encouraging Catholic orders to settle in
the city, starting in 1610 with the Franciscans, followed by Jesuits,[14] Capuchins, and
finally Ursulines in 1687. These orders erected buildings which shaped the city's appearance until
1945. At the end of the Thirty Years' War, however, it was one of only a few Silesian cities to stay
Protestant.

Battle of Breslau during the Seven Years' War (Third Silesian War 1756–1763)

The Polish Municipal school opened in 1666. It operated until 1766.

The precise record keeping of births and deaths by the city led to the use of their data for analysis of
mortality, first by John Graunt and then later by Edmond Halley. Halley's tables and analysis,
published in 1693, are considered to be the first true actuarial tables, and thus the foundation of
modern actuarial science.
During the Counter-Reformation, the intellectual life of the city flourished, as the
Protestant bourgeoisie lost its role to the Catholic orders as the patron of the arts. The city became
the centre of German Baroque literature and was home to the First and Second Silesian school of
poets.[23]
The Kingdom of Prussia annexed the town and most of Silesia during the War of the Austrian
Succession in the 1740s. Habsburg empress Maria Theresa ceded the territory in the Treaty of
Breslau in 1742. Austria attempted to recover Silesia with Breslau during the Seven Years' War and
the Battle of Breslau, but unsuccessfully.
In 1766, Giacomo Casanova stayed in Breslau.
Napoleonic Wars[edit]

Entry of Prince Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon I, to Breslau, 7 January 1807

During the Napoleonic Wars, it was occupied by an army of the Confederation of the Rhine. The
fortifications of the city were leveled[14] and monasteries and cloisters were secularised. The
Protestant Viadrina European University of Frankfurt (Oder) was relocated to Breslau in 1811, and
united with the local Jesuit University to create the new Silesian Frederick-William University
(Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität, now University of Wrocław). The city became the centre
of the German Liberation movement against Napoleon, and the gathering place for volunteers from
all over Germany, with the Iron Cross military decoration founded by Frederick William III of
Prussia in early March 1813. The city was the centre of Prussian mobilisation for the campaign which
ended at Leipzig.[24]
Prussia and Germany[edit]
Napoleonic redevelopments increased prosperity in Silesia and the city. The levelled fortifications
opened space for the city to grow beyond its old limits. Breslau became an important railway hub and
industrial centre, notably of linen and cotton manufacture and metal industry. The reconstructed
university served as a major centre of sciences, while the secularisation of life laid the base for a rich
museum landscape. Johannes Brahms wrote his Academic Festival Overture to thank the university
for an honorary doctorate awarded in 1881.
In 1821, (Arch)Diocese of Breslau was disentangled from the Polish ecclesiastical province
(archbishopric) in Gniezno and made Breslau an exempt bishopric. On 10 October 1854, the Jewish
Theological Seminary opened. The institution was the first modern rabbinical seminary in Central
Europe. In 1863 the brothers Karl and Louis Stangen founded the travel agency Stangen, this was
the second travel agency in the world.[25]
Old Town Hall, 1900

The Unification of Germany in 1871 turned Breslau into the sixth-largest city in the German Empire.
Its population more than tripled to over half a million between 1860 and 1910. The 1900 census listed
422,709 residents.
In 1890, construction began on the forts of Breslau Fortress. Important landmarks were inaugurated
in 1910, the Kaiser bridge and the Technical University, which now houses the Wrocław University of
Technology. The 1900 census listed 98% as German-speakers, with 5,363 Polish-speakers (1.3%),
and another 3,103 (0.7%) speaking both German and Polish.[26] The population was 58% Protestant,
37% Catholic (including at least 2% Polish)[27] and 5% Jewish (totaling 20,536 in the 1905
census).[26] The Jewish community of Breslau was among the most important in Germany, producing
several distinguished artists and scientists.[28]
From 1912, the head of the University's Department of Psychiatry and director of the Clinic of
Psychiatry (Königlich Psychiatrischen und Nervenklinik) was Alois Alzheimer and, in the same year,
professor William Stern introduced the concept of IQ.

Market Square, 1890–1900

Feniks Department Store, built in 1902–1904

In 1913, the newly built Centennial Hall housed an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary
of the historical German Wars of Liberation against Napoleon and the first award of the Iron Cross.
Following the First World War, Breslau became the capital of the newly created Prussian Province of
Lower Silesia of the Weimar Republic in 1919. After the war the Polish community began holding
masses in the Polish language at the Church of Saint Anne, and, as of 1921, at St. Martin's and a
Polish School was founded by Helena Adamczewska.[29] In 1920 a Polish consulate was opened on
the Main Square.
In August 1920, during the Polish Silesian Uprising in Upper Silesia, the Polish Consulate and School
were destroyed, while the Polish Library was burned down by a mob. The number of Poles as a
percentage of the total population fell to just 0.5% after the reconstitution of Poland in 1918, when
many moved to Poland.[27] Antisemitic riots occurred in 1923.[30]
The city boundaries were expanded between 1925 and 1930 to include an area of 175 km2 (68 sq mi)
with a population of 600,000. In 1929, the Werkbund opened WuWa (German: Wohnungs- und
Werkraumausstellung) in Breslau-Scheitnig, an international showcase of modern architecture by
architects of the Silesian branch of the Werkbund. In June 1930, Breslau hosted the Deutsche
Kampfspiele, a sporting event for German athletes after Germany was excluded from the Olympic
Games after World War I. The number of Jews remaining in Breslau fell from 23,240 in 1925 to
10,659 in 1933.[31] Up to the beginning of World War II, Breslau was the largest city in Germany east
of Berlin.[32]

Aerial view of pre-war Breslau, 1920

Known as a stronghold of left wing liberalism during the German Empire,[33] Breslau eventually
became one of the strongest support bases of the Nazis, who in the 1932 elections received 44% of
the city's vote, their third-highest total in all Germany.[34]
KZ Dürrgoy, one of the first concentration camps in the Third Reich, was set up in Breslau in 1933.
After Hitler's appointment as German Chancellor in 1933, political enemies of the Nazis were
persecuted, and their institutions closed or destroyed; the Gestapo began actions against Polish and
Jewish students (see: Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau), Communists, Social Democrats,
and trade unionists. Arrests were made for speaking Polish in public, and in 1938 the Nazi-controlled
police destroyed the Polish cultural centre.[35][36] In September 1941 the city's 10,000 Jews were
displaced from their homes and soon deported to camps. Few survived the Holocaust.[37] Also many
other people seen as "undesirable" by the Third Reich were sent to concentration camps.[35] A
network of concentration camps and forced labour camps was established around Breslau, to serve
industrial concerns, including FAMO, Junkers and Krupp. Tens of thousands were imprisoned
there.[38]
The last big event organised by the National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise,
called Deutsches Turn-und-Sportfest (Gym and Sports Festivities), took place in Breslau from 26 to
31 July 1938. The Sportsfest was held to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the German Wars
of Liberation against Napoleon's invasion.[39]
Second World War[edit]

Blindfolded German army officers walking to negotiate the capitulation of Festung Breslau, 6 May 1945
For most of World War II, the fighting did not affect Breslau. In 1941 the remnants of the pre-war
Polish minority in the city, as well as Polish slave labourers, organised a resistance group
called Olimp. The organisation gathered intelligence, carrying out sabotage and organising aid for
Polish slave workers. As the war continued, refugees from bombed-out German cities, and later
refugees from farther east, swelled the population to nearly one million,[40] including 51,000 forced
labourers in 1944, and 9,876 Allied PoWs. At the end of 1944 an additional 30,000–60,000 Poles
were moved into the city after Germans crushed the Warsaw Uprising.[41]
In February 1945 the Soviet Red Army approached the city. Gauleiter Karl Hanke declared the city
a Festung (fortress) to be held at all costs. Hanke finally lifted a ban on the evacuation of women and
children when it was almost too late. During his poorly organised evacuation in January 1945, 18,000
people froze to death in icy snowstorms and −20 °C (−4 °F) weather. By the end of the Battle of
Breslau (February-May 1945), half the city had been destroyed. An estimated 40,000 civilians lay
dead in the ruins of homes and factories. After a siege of nearly three months, Festung Breslau
capitulated on 6 May 1945, two days before the end of the war.[42] In August the Soviets placed the
city under the control of German anti-fascists.[43]
Along with almost all of Lower Silesia, however, the city became part of Poland under the terms of
the Potsdam Conference. The Polish name of "Wrocław" was declared official. There had been
discussion among the Western Allies to place the southern Polish-German boundary on the Glatzer
Neisse, which meant post-war Germany would have been allowed to retain approximately half of
Silesia, including Breslau. However, the Soviets insisted the border be drawn at the Lusatian
Neisse farther west.
After the war[edit]

Fighting Solidarity logo

Wrocław dwarf

In August 1945, the city had a German population of 189,500, and a Polish population of 17,000.
After World War II the region was placed under Polish administration by the Potsdam
Agreement under territorial changes demanded by the Soviet Union.[43] Almost all of the German
inhabitants fled or were forcibly expelled between 1945 and 1949 and were settled in the Soviet
occupation zone and Allied Occupation Zones in the remainder of Germany. The city's last pre-war
German school was closed in 1963. The Polish population was dramatically increased by the
resettlement of Poles during postwar population transfers during the forced deportations from Polish
lands annexed by the Soviet Union in the east region, some of whom came
from Lviv (Lwów), Volhynia and Vilnius Region. A small German minority (about 1,000 people, or 2 %
of the population) remains in the city, so that today the relation of Polish to German population is the
reverse of the relation 100 years ago.[44] Traces of the German past such as inscriptions and signs
were removed.[45]
Wrocław is now a unique European city of mixed heritage, with architecture influenced
by Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian traditions, such as Silesian Gothic and its Baroque style of court
builders of Habsburg Austria (Fischer von Erlach). Wrocław has a number of notable buildings by
German modernist architects including the famous Centennial Hall (Hala
Stulecia or Jahrhunderthalle; 1911–1913) designed by Max Berg. In 1948, Wrocław organised
the Recovered Territories Exhibition and the World Congress of Intellectuals in Defense of Peace.
In 1963, Wrocław was declared a closed city because of a smallpox epidemic.
In 1982, during martial law in Poland, the anti-communist underground organizations Fighting
Solidarity and Orange Alternative were founded in Wrocław. Wrocław's dwarfs made of bronze
famously commemorate Orange Alternative.
In 1983 and 1997, Pope John Paul II visited the city.
PTV Echo, the first non-state television station in Poland and in the post-communist countries, began
to broadcast in Wrocław on 6 February 1990.
In May 1997, Wrocław hosted the 46th International Eucharistic Congress.
In July 1997, the city was heavily affected by a flood of the River Oder, the worst flooding in post-war
Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. About one-third of the area of the city was flooded.[46] An
earlier equally devastating flood of the river took place in 1903.[47] A small part of the city was also
flooded during the flood in 2010. From 2012 to 2015, the Wrocław water node [pl] was renovated and
redeveloped to prevent further flooding. It cost more than 900 million PLN (c. 220 million euro).
Three matches in Group A of the UEFA Euro 2012 championship were played in the then newly
constructed Municipal Stadium in Wrocław.
In 2016, Wrocław was European Capital of Culture.
In 2017, Wrocław hosted the 2017 World Games.
Wrocław won the European Best Destination title in 2018.[48]

Environment[edit]
The city stretches for 26.3 kilometers on the east-west line and 19.4 kilometers on the north-south
line.
Air pollution[edit]

Map of Wrocław's areas where PM10 standards were exceeded in 2015

Wrocław is one of the most polluted European and Polish cities. In a report by
French Respire organization from 2014, Wrocław was named the eighth most polluted European city,
with 166 days of bad air quality yearly.[49] Air pollution mainly occurs in winter.
According to the Wrocław University research from 2017, high concentration of particular matters
(PM2.5 and PM 10) in the air causes 942 premature deaths of Wrocław inhabitants per year.[50] Air
pollution also causes 3297 cases of bronchitis among Wrocław's children per year.[50]
84% of Wrocław inhabitants think that air pollution is a serious social problem, according to the poll
from May 2017. 73% of people think, that air quality is bad.[51]
In 2012, there were 71 days, when the PM10 standards, set by Cleaner Air For Europe Directive,
were exceeded. In 2014, there were 104 such days.[52]
In February 2018, Wrocław was the most polluted city on Earth, according to the Airvisual website,
which measures the air quality index.[53][54]
In 2014, inhabitants founded an organization, called the Lower Silesian Smog Alert (Dolnośląski
Alarm Smogowy, DAS), to tackle the air pollution problem. Its goals are to educate the public and to
reduct emission of harmful substances.[55]
Climate[edit]
According to Köppen's original definition, Wrocław has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate
classification: Cfb). However it is common in the literature published in English to use the 0 °C
isotherm for the coldest month (as opposed to the original −3 °C) as the boundary between
the C and D types. Based on that definition, Wrocław has a humid continental climate (Dfb). It is one
of the warmest cities in Poland. Lying in the Silesian Lowlands between Trzebnickie Hills and
the Sudetes, the mean annual temperature is 9.04 °C (48 °F). The coldest month is January
(average temperature −0.7 °C), with snow being common in winter, and the warmest is July (average
temperature 18.9 °C). The highest temperature in Wrocław was recorded on 19 August 1892[56] and 8
August 2015 (+38.9 °C).[57] The previous records were +38 °C on 27 June 1935 and +37.9 °C on 31
July 1994. The lowest temperature was recorded on 11 February 1956 (−32 °C).

hideClimate data for Wrocław (Copernicus Airport), elevation: 120 m, 1981-201

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Au
16.3 19.7 25.2 32.0 33.9 38.0 37.9 38.9
Record high °C (°F)
(61.3) (67.5) (77.4) (89.6) (93.0) (100.4) (100.2) (102
2.9 4.5 8.9 15.2 20.2 23.2 25.5 25.2
Average high °C (°F)
(37.2) (40.1) (48.0) (59.4) (68.4) (73.8) (77.9) (77.
−0.1 0.9 4.3 9.6 14.4 17.5 19.7 19.2
Daily mean °C (°F)
(31.8) (33.6) (39.7) (49.3) (57.9) (63.5) (67.5) (66.
−3.4 −2.7 0.0 3.8 8.4 11.8 13.8 13.3
Average low °C (°F)
(25.9) (27.1) (32.0) (38.8) (47.1) (53.2) (56.8) (55.
−29.4 −32 −22.1 −6.3 −3.1 1.1 4.7 2.9
Record low °C (°F)
(−20.9) (−26) (−7.8) (20.7) (26.4) (34.0) (40.5) (37.
29 24 36 32 59 62 95 59
Average precipitation mm (inches)
(1.1) (0.9) (1.4) (1.3) (2.3) (2.4) (3.7) (2.3
Average precipitation days 16 13 14 11 13 13 14 12
Average relative humidity (%) 84 80 76 69 70 70 72 71
Mean monthly sunshine hours 57 82 126 197 247 245 257 250
Source: [58][59][60][61][62]
showClimate data for Wrocław (Copernicus Airport), elevation: 120 m, 1961-1990 norm
Fauna[edit]

Grey heron in the Eastern Park

In Wrocław, the presence of over 200 species of birds has been registered, of which over 100 have
nesting places here. As in other large Polish cities, the most numerous are pigeons. Other common
species are the sparrow, tree
sparrow, siskin, rook, crow, jackdaw, magpie, swift, martin, swallow, kestrel, mute
swan, mallard, coot, merganser, black-headed gull, great tit, blue tit, long-tailed
tit, greenfinch, hawfinch, collared dove, common wood pigeon, fieldfare, redwing, common
starling, grey heron, white stork, common
chaffinch, blackbird, jay, nuthatch, bullfinch, cuckoo, waxwing, lesser spotted woodpecker, great
spotted woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, white wagtail, blackcap, black redstart, old world
flycatcher, emberizidae, goldfinch, western marsh harrier, little bittern, common moorhen, reed
bunting, remiz, great reed warbler, little crake, little ringed plover and white-tailed eagle.
In addition, in the city there live rats, hedgehogs, foxes, wild
boars, bats, martens, squirrels, deer, hares, beavers, polecats, otters, badgers, weasels, stoats and r
accoon dogs. May also appear muskrat, american mink, raccoon.
Water[edit]
The city lies on the Oder River and its four tributaries, which supply it within the city limits: Bystrzyca,
Oława, Ślęza and Widawa. In addition, the Dobra River and many streams flow through the city.
Wrocław draws drinking water from the water–bearing areas supplied with groundwater[clarification needed],
and (via the Nysa-Oława Canal) from the Oława and Nysa Kłodzka rivers.
The city has a sewage treatment plant on the Janówek estate.

Government and politics[edit]

Wrocław New City Hall – seat of the city mayor

Wrocław is the capital city of Lower Silesian Voivodeship, a province (voivodeship) created in 1999. It
was previously the seat of Wrocław Voivodeship. The city is a separate urban gmina and city county
(powiat). It is also the seat of Wrocław County, which adjoins but does not include the city.
Districts[edit]
Wrocław was previously subdivided into five boroughs (dzielnica):

 Fabryczna ("Factory Quarter")

 Krzyki, (German: Krietern, meaning "Wranglers")
 Psie Pole (German: Hundsfeld, "Dogs' Field", named so after the alleged Battle of Psie Pole or
poor quality of the fields)
 Stare Miasto (old town)
 Śródmieście (midtown)
However, the city is now divided into 48 osiedles (districts): Bieńkowice, Biskupin-Sępolno-Dąbie-
Bartoszowice, Borek, Brochów, Gaj, Gajowice, Gądów-Popowice Płd., Grabiszyn-Grabiszynek,
Huby, Jagodno, Jerzmanowo-Jarnołtów-Strachowice-Osiniec, Karłowice-Różanka, Klecina,
Kleczków, Kowale, Krzyki-Partynice, Księże, Kuźniki, Leśnica, Lipa Piotrowska, Maślice, Muchobór
Mały, Muchobór Wielki, Nadodrze, Nowy Dwór, Ołbin, Ołtaszyn, Oporów, Osobowice-Rędzin,
Pawłowice, Pilczyce-Kozanów-Popowice Płn., Plac Grunwaldzki, Polanowice-Poświętne-Ligota,
Powstańców Śląskich, Pracze Odrzańskie, Przedmieście Oławskie, Przedmieście Świdnickie, Psie
Pole-Zawidawie, Sołtysowice, Stare Miasto, Strachocin-Swojczyce-Wojnów, Szczepin, Świniary,
Tarnogaj, Widawa, Wojszyce, Zacisze-Zalesie-Szczytniki, and Żerniki.
Municipal government[edit]
Wrocław is currently governed by the city's mayor and a municipal legislature known as the city
council. The city council is made up of 39 councillors and is directly elected by the city's inhabitants.
The remit of the council and president extends to all areas of municipal policy and development
planning, up to and including development of local infrastructure, transport and planning permission.
However, it is not able to draw taxation directly from its citizens, and instead receives its budget from
the Polish national government whose seat is in Warsaw. The city's current mayor is Jacek Sutryk,
who has served in this position since 2018. Previous mayors include Stanisław
Apoznański (25.05.1984–13.12.1985), Stefan Skąpski (26.03.1986–4.06.1990), Bogdan
Zdrojewski (5.06.1990–8.05.2001), Stanisław Huskowski (8.05.2001–19.11.2002) and Rafał
Dutkiewicz (19.11.2002–19.11.2018).[citation needed]

Tourism[edit]

Old Town Hall in the Market Square

Salt Market Square

Tenement houses on south side of Market Square

Centennial Hall, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wrocław Fountain

Africarium – the world's only oceanarium exhibiting exclusively African fauna, a part of the Wrocław Zoo

Hydropolis water multimedia museum

Wrocław Opera by night

The Tourist Information Centre (Polish: Centrum Informacji Turystycznej) is located on the Main
Market Square (Rynek) in building No. 14.
Free wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) is available at a number of places around town.
Landmarks and points of interest[edit]
Ostrów Tumski is the oldest part of the city of Wrocław. It was formerly an island (ostrów in Old
Polish) known as the Cathedral Island between the branches of the Oder River, featuring
the Wrocław Cathedral built originally in the mid 10th century.
The 13th century Main Market Square (Rynek) features the Old Town Hall. In the north-west corner
of the market square there is the St. Elisabeth's Church (Bazylika Św. Elżbiety) with its 91.46 m
tower, which has an observation deck (75 m). North of the church are the Shambles with Monument
of Remembrance of Animals for Slaughter [pl]. The Salt Square (now a flower market) is located at
the south-western corner of the market square. Close to the square, between Szewska and
Łaciarska streets, there is the St. Mary Magdalene Church (Kościół Św. Marii Magdaleny)
established in the 13th century.
The St. Vincent and St. James' Church and the Holy Cross and St. Bartholomew's Collegiate
Church are burial sites of Polish monarchs Henry II the Pious and Henry IV Probus respectively.
Pan Tadeusz Museum- Operating since May 2016 year. Located in the building of the Golden Sun in
the Market. You'll find the manuscript of the national epos- "Pan Tadeusz", multimedia exhibits,
interactive educational halls and museum workshops there.
The Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia; German: Jahrhunderthalle), designed by Max Berg in 1911–
1913, is a World Heritage Site inscribed by UNESCO in 2006.
Other points of interest include:

 Wrocław Zoo, home of the Africarium - the only oceanarium devoted solely to exhibiting
the fauna of Africa and the oldest zoological garden in Poland established in 1865. It is also the
third largest zoo in the world in terms of the number of animal species on display.
 Multimedia Fountain
 Szczytnicki Park with Japanese Garden
 Miniature park and Dinosaur park on the Wróblewskiego Street 9
 Botanical Garden in Wrocław [pl] – founded in 1811
 Olympic Stadium
 Municipal Stadium – UEFA Euro 2012 arena
 The Sky Tower (212 m) – tallest building in Poland with a vantage point at an altitude of 200
meters.
 Poland's largest model railway "Kolejkowo" on Station Świebodzki
 Hydropolis – water multimedia museum
 University of Wrocław with Mathematical Tower
 Church of the Name of Jesus [pl]
 Wrocław water tower
 The Royal Palace which houses the Wrocław City Museum
 White Stork Synagogue
 Old Jewish Cemetery, Wrocław
 Cemetery of Italian Soldiers
 Wrocław Main Station
 Wrocław Opera
 Polinka – gondola lift
 Ropes course on the Opatowicka Island
Small passenger vessels on the Oder offer city tours, as do historic trams or the converted open-
topped historic bus Jelcz 043. Another interesting way to explore the city is seeking out Wrocław's
dwarfs, small bronze figurines found throughout the town.
In Wrocław functions "Free Walking Tour" – https://freewalkingtour.com/wroclaw/
A frequent destination for tourists visiting Wrocław is the Sudety Mountains, especially the
nearby Mount Ślęża.
Swimming[edit]

 Aquapark Wrocław (all year)

 Wrocław SPA Center (all year)
 Orbita (all year)
 swimming pool AWF Wrocław (all year)
 swimming pool WKS Śląsk Wrocław (all year)
 Sports center and swimming "Redeco" (all year)
 Morskie Oko (only in summer)
 Glinianki WakePark Wrocław (Pedalo, Skimboarding, Wakeboarding, Waterskiing)(only in
summer)
 Królewiecki pond (only in summer)
 swimming pool Kłokoczyce (only in summer)
Shopping malls[edit]

 Wroclavia
 Galeria Handlowa Sky Tower
 Galeria Dominikańska
 Pasaż Grunwaldzki
 Arkady Wrocławskie
 Centrum Handlowe Borek
 Magnolia Park
 Wrocław Fashion Outlet
 Futura Park
 Centrum Handlowe Korona
 Renoma, a 1930s department store of architectural interest over and above its shopping value
 Feniks
 Wrocław Market Hall
 Marino
 Aleja Bielany in Bielany Wrocławskie (suburb of Wroclaw) – the largest shopping mall in Poland
Entertainment[edit]
Świdnicka Cellar Restaurant

National Forum of Music

The city is well known for its large number of nightclubs and pubs. Many are in or near the Market
Square, and in the Niepolda passage, the railway wharf on the Bogusławskiego street. The
basement of the old City Hall houses one of the oldest restaurants in Europe—Piwnica Świdnicka
(operating since around 1275), while the basement of the new City Hall contains the brewpub Spiż.
There are many other craft breweries in Wrocław: three brewpubs – Browar Stu Mostów, Browar
Staromiejski Złoty Pies, Browar Rodzinny Prost; two microbrewery – Profesja and Warsztat
Piwowarski; and seven contract breweries – Doctor Brew, Genius Loci, Solipiwko, Pol A Czech,
Baba Jaga, wBrew, Wielka Wyspa. Every year on the second weekend of June the Festival of Good
Beer takes place. It is the biggest beer festival in Poland. Every year in November and December
the Christmas market is held at the Market Square.
Museums[edit]
The National Museum at pl. Powstańców Warszawy, one of Poland's main branches of the National
Museum system, holds one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the country.[64]

 City Museum of Wrocław (pl)

 The Museum of Bourgeois Art in the Old Town Hall
 Panorama Racławicka (Racławice Panorama)
 Museum of Architecture
 Archaeological Museum (pl)
 Museum of Natural History at University of Wrocław
 Archdiocese Museum (pl)
 Museum of Military in the Arsenal
 Princes Lubomirski Museum (pl)
 Museum of Pharmacy (pl)
 Post and Telecommunications Museum (pl)
 Geological Museum (pl)
 Mineralogical Museum (pl)
 Ethnographic Museum (pl)
 Ossolineum Library with history of major World War II theft of collections after the takeover of
Lwów by the Soviet Union

Wrocław in literature[edit]
The history of Wrocław is described in minute detail in the monograph Microcosm: Portrait of a
Central European City by Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse. A number of books have been
written about Wrocław following World War II.
Wrocław philologist and writer Marek Krajewski wrote a series of crime novels about
detective Eberhard Mock, a fictional character from the city of Breslau. Accordingly, Michał
Kaczmarek published Wrocław according to Eberhard Mock – Guide based on the books by Marek
Krajewski. In 2011 appeared the 1104-page Lexicon of the architecture of Wrocław, and in 2013 a
960-page Lexicon about the greenery of Wrocław. In March 2015 Wrocław filed an application to
become a UNESCO's City of Literature.

Education[edit]
University of Wrocław

Wrocław University of Technology – Faculty of Architecture

Wrocław is the third largest educational centre of Poland, with 135,000 students in 30 colleges which
employ some 7,400 staff.[65]

Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

List of ten public colleges and universities:

 Wrocław University (Uniwersytet Wrocławski):[66] over 47,000 students, ranked fourth
among public universities in Poland by the "Wprost" weekly ranking in 2007[67]
 Wrocław University of Technology (Politechnika Wrocławska):[68] over 40,000 students, the best
university of technology in Poland by the "Wprost" weekly ranking in 2007[69]
 Wrocław Medical University (Uniwersytet Medyczny we Wrocławiu)[70]
 University School of Physical Education in Wrocław [pl][71]
 Wrocław University of Economics (Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wrocławiu)[72] over 18,000
students, ranked fifth best among public economic universities in Poland by the "Wprost" weekly
ranking in 2007[73]
 Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we
Wrocławiu):[74] over 13,000 students, ranked third best among public agricultural universities in
Poland by the "Wprost" weekly ranking in 2007[75]
 Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych we Wrocławiu),[76]
 Karol Lipiński University of Music (Akademia Muzyczna im. Karola Lipińskiego we Wrocławiu)[77]
 Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts, Wrocław Campus (Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła
Teatralna w Krakowie filia we Wrocławiu)[78]
 The Tadeusz Kościuszko Land Forces Military Academy (Wyższa Szkoła Oficerska Wojsk
Lądowych)[79]
Private universities:

 University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospołeczny)

Other cultural institutions:

 Alliance Française in Wrocław

 Austrian Institute in Wrocław
 British Council in Wrocław
 Dante Alighieri Society in Wrocław
 Grotowski Institute in Wrocław

Transport[edit]
Roads[edit]
Wrocław is a major road junction. Wrocław is skirted on the south by the A4 highway, which allows
for a quick connection with Upper Silesia, Kraków and further east to Ukraine,
and Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin to the west. The A8 highway (Wrocław ring road) around the west and
north of the city connects the A4 highway with the S5 express road that leads
to Poznań, Bydgoszcz and S8 express road that leads
to Oleśnica, Łódź, Warsaw, Białystok and National road 5 and National road 8 to the Czech
Republic. Under construction is the eastern part of the Wrocław ring road.
Air transport[edit]
The city is served by Copernicus Airport Wrocław (airport code WRO) which handles flights from LOT
Polish Airlines, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Air France, KLM, Scandinavian
Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.
Rail[edit]
The main rail station is Wrocław Główny supported by PKP Intercity, Przewozy
Regionalne and Koleje Dolnośląskie. Journey times from Wrocław:
 Warsaw – 3,5 h,
 Kraków – 3 h,
 Gdańsk – 5 h,
 Poznań – 2 h,
 Szczecin – 6 h,
 Berlin – 4 h,
 Prague – 4,5 h,
 Vienna – 7 h
Coach[edit]
Adjacent to the railway station, is a central bus station located in the basement of the shopping
mall of "Wroclavia", with services offered by PKS, Flixbus, Eurolines and others.
City transport[edit]
Public transport in Wrocław includes bus lines and 23 tram lines operated by Miejskie
Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacyjne (MPK, the Municipal Transport Company) [80]. Rides are paid for,
tickets can be bought above kiosks and vending machines, which are located at bus stops and in the
vehicles. The tickets are available for purchase in the electronic form via payment
card or mobile (mPay, SkyCash, Mobill). Tickets are one-ride or temporary (0.5h, 1h, 1.5h, 24h, 48h,
72h, 168h).
Over a dozen traditional taxicab firms and Uber, iTaxi, Taxify, MyTaxi operate in the city.
Bike[edit]
In Wrocław there are 255 km of cycling paths and about 100 km paths on flood embankments.
Wrocław has a bike rental network – Wrocław City Bike. It has 2000 bicycles and 200 self-service
stations. In addition to regular bicycles, tandem, cargo, electric, folding, tricycles, children's and
handbikes are available. Operating every year from 1 March to 30 November. During winter
(December - February) 200 bikes are available in the system. The system is supported by "Nextbike"
and "Wrocławski Rower Miejski" applications.
Personal transporter[edit]
In the city there is an e-systems the firms of Lime, Bird and Hive Free Now motorized scooters rental
using a mobile application.
Other[edit]
Electronic car rental systems operate in the city: "Traficar", "Panek CarSharing" (hybrid cars)[81],
"Vozilla" (electric cars).
You can also rent "Vozilla by blinkee.city"[82][83], "GoScooter" and "hop.city" electric scooters using the
mobile application.
"Polinka" is a gondola lift over the Oder.
The city has a river port on the Oder and several marinas.

 Transport in Wrocław
 

Wrocław Main Station

Pendolino ED250 PKP Intercity on the Wrocław Main Station

Newag Impuls 45WE-024 Koleje Dolnośląskie on the Wrocław Main Station

Descent to the main bus station (Polbus-PKS) in the "Wroclavia" shopping mall
 

MAN Lion's City bus MPK Wrocław

Škoda 19 T tram MPK Wrocław

Wrocław City Bike

"Polinka" – Gondola lift over the Oder

 

Copernicus Airport Wrocław – Main Terminal

Demographics[edit]
Population[edit]

[citation needed]

Religion[edit]

Wrocław Cathedral in the oldest district of Ostrów Tumski

Wrocław's population is predominantly Catholic (Roman Catholic). The diocese was founded in the
city as early as 1000, it was one of the first dioceses in Poland at that time. Now the city is the seat of
an Archdiocese. Before World War II, Breslau had a majority of Protestants, a large Roman Catholic
and a small Jewish minority. In 1939, of 620,976 inhabitants 368,464 were Protestants (United
Protestants—mostly Lutherans and minority Reformed—in the Evangelical Church of the old-
Prussian Union), 193,805 Catholics, 2,135 other Christians and 10,659 Jews. Post-war resettlements
from Poland's ethnically and religiously more diverse former eastern territories (known in Polish
as Kresy) and the eastern parts of post-1945 Poland (see Operation Vistula) account for a
comparatively large portion of Greek Catholics and Orthodox Christians of
mostly Ukrainian and Lemko descent. Wrocław is also unique for its "Dzielnica Czterech Świątyń"
(Borough of Four Temples)—a part of Stare Miasto (Old Town) where a Synagogue, a Lutheran
Church, a Roman Catholic church and an Eastern Orthodox church stand near each other. Other
Christian denominations present in Wrocław include: Adventist, Baptist, Free Christians, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Latter-day Saints, Methodist and Pentecostal. There also exist associations practising
and promoting Slavic neopaganism.[84][85]
In 2007, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wrocław established the Pastoral Centre for English
Speakers, which offers Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, as well as other sacraments,
fellowship, retreats, catechesis and pastoral care for all English-speaking Catholics and non-
Catholics interested in the Catholic Church. The Pastoral Centre is under the care of Order of Friars
Minor, Conventual (Franciscans) of the Kraków Province in the parish of St Charles Borromeo (Św
Karol Boromeusz).
Wrocław had the third largest Jewish population of all cities in Germany before World War
II.[86] Its White Stork Synagogue was built in 1840.[86] It was only rededicated in 2010.[86] Four years
later, in 2014, it celebrated its first ordination of four rabbis and three cantors since the Second World
War.[86] The Polish authorities together with the German Foreign Minister attended the official
ceremony.[86]

Professional sports[edit]

Municipal Stadium

Interior of the Municipal Stadium

The Wrocław area has many popular professional sports teams. The most popular sport today
is football, thanks to Śląsk Wrocław – Polish Champion in 1977 and 2012.
In second place is basketball, thanks to Śląsk Wrocław – the award-winning men's basketball team
(17 times Polish Champion).
Matches of Group A UEFA Euro 2012's were held at Wrocław at the Municipal Stadium.
Matches of EuroBasket 1963 and EuroBasket 2009, as well as 2009 Women's European Volleyball
Championship, 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship and 2016 European Men's
Handball Championship were held in Wrocław.
Wrocław was the host of the 2013 World Weightlifting Championships and will the host World
Championship 2016 of Duplicate bridge and World Games 2017, a competition in 37 non-Olympic
sport disciplines.
A marathon takes place in Wrocław every year in September.[87]
Wrocław also hosts the Wrocław Open, a professional tennis tournament which is part of the ATP
Challenger Tour.
Men's sports[edit]

 Śląsk Wrocław: men's football team, Polish Championship in Football 1977, 2012; Polish
Cup winner 1976, 1987; Polish SuperCup winner 1987, 2012; Polish League Cup winner 2009.
Now in Ekstraklasa (Polish Premier League).
 Śląsk Wrocław (previous names: BASCO Śląsk Wrocław, ASCO Śląsk Wrocław, Bergson Śląsk
Wrocław, Era Śląsk Wrocław, Deichmann Śląsk Wrocław, Idea Śląsk Wrocław, Zepter Idea Śląsk
Wrocław, Zepter Śląsk Wrocław, Śląsk ESKA Wrocław, PCS Śląsk Wrocław, WKS Śląsk
Wrocław)—men's basketball team, 17 times Polish Champion, six times runner-up, 14 times third
place; 12 times Polish Cup winner.
 Śląsk Wrocław: men's handball team, 15-time Polish Champion.
 WTS Sparta Wrocław: motorcycle speedway team, four-time Polish Champion.
 KS Rugby Wrocław: rugby union team.
 Panthers Wrocław: American football team.
Women's sports[edit]

 KŚ AZS Wrocław: women's football team.

 AZS AWF Wrocław: women's handball team.
 AZS AE Wrocław: women table tennis team.

Economy[edit]
Sky Tower is the tallest building in Poland, which offers office, commercial, residential and recreational space

Wrocław is the second wealthiest city in Poland after Warsaw.[88]. The city is also home to the largest
number of leasing and debt collection companies in the country, including the largest European
Leasing Fund as well as numerous banks. Due to the proximity of the borders with Germany and the
Czech Republic, Wrocław and the region of Lower Silesia is a large import and export partner with
these countries.
Wrocław's industry manufactures buses, railroad cars, home appliances, chemicals and electronics.
The city houses factories and development centres of many foreign and domestic corporations, such
as WAGO Kontakttechnik, Siemens, Bosch, Whirlpool Corporation, Nokia
Networks, Volvo, HP, IBM, Google, Opera Software, Bombardier Transportation, WABCO and
others. Wrocław is also the location of offices for large Polish companies including Getin
Holding, AmRest, Polmos and MCI Management SA. Additionally, Kaufland Poland has its main
headquarters in the city.

Petersdorff Department Store designed by Erich Mendelsohn

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the city has had a developing high-tech sector. Many high-
tech companies are located in the Wrocław Technology Park, such as Baluff, CIT Engineering,
Caisson Elektronik, ContiTech, Ericsson, Innovative Software Technologies, IBM, IT-MED, IT
Sector, LiveChat Software, Mitsubishi Electric, Maas, PGS Software, Technology Transfer Agency
Techtra and Vratis. In Biskupice Podgórne (Community Kobierzyce) there are factories of LG (LG
Display, LG Electronics, LG Chem, LG Innotek), Dong Seo Display, Dong Yang Electronics, Toshiba,
and many other companies, mainly from the electronics and home appliances sectors, while
the Nowa Wieś Wrocławska factory and distribution center of Nestlé Purina and factories a few other
enterprises.
The city is the seat of Wrocław Research Centre EIT+, which contains, inter alia, geological research
laboratories to the unconventional and Lower Silesian Cluster of Nanotechnology. The logistics
centers DHL, FedEx and UPS are based in Wrocław. Furthermore, it is major center for the
pharmaceutical industry (U.S. Pharmacia, Hasco-Lek, Galena, Avec Pharma, 3M, Labor, S-Lab,
Herbapol, and Cezal).
Wrocław is home to Poland's largest shopping mall – Bielany Avenue (pl. Aleja Bielany) and Bielany
Trade Center, located in Bielany Wrocławskie where stores such as Auchan, Decathlon, Leroy
Merlin, Makro, Tesco, IKEA, Jula, OBI, Castorama, Black Red White, Poco, E.
Wedel, Cargill, Prologis and Panattoni can be found.
In February 2013, Qatar Airways launched its Wrocław European Customer Service.

Major corporations[edit]
 3M
 AB SA
 Akwawit–Polmos S.A. – plant "Wratislavia vodka"
 Bombardier Transportation Polska
 The Bank of New York Mellon
 Bank Zachodni WBK
 Bosch-Siemens-Hausgeräte GmbH (BSH)
 Cargill Poland
 Chop-Chop.org
 CH Robinson Worldwide
 DHL
 Dolby Labs
 Eko Holding
 Eurobank S.A.
 Ernst & Young
 Europejski Fundusz Leasingowy SA
 Crédit Agricole Poland
 Credit Suisse[89]
 Deichmann
 DeLaval Operations Poland
 Dolby
 Fortum S.A.
 Qatar Airways
 Gigaset Communications
 Google
 Hasco-Lek S.A.
 Herbapol Wrocław
 Hewlett Packard
 Hologram Industries Polska
 Hutmen SA
 IBM[90]
 Impel SA
 Intakus SA
 Inter-System S.A.
 IT Consulting
 KGHM Polska Miedź
 Kinnarps Poland
 KOGENERACJA S.A.
 Komsa Polska
 LiveChat Software
 LG Electronics
 McKinsey & Company
 Microsoft[91]
 Mphasis Wyde
 MSI (Micro Star International) Polska
 National Bank of Poland
 Nokia Networks
 Olympus Business Services Europe
 Opera Software
 Parker Hannifin
 PGS Software
 PPG Deco Polska
 PZ Cussons Polska S.A.
 PZU
 Rocket Media
 QAD
 Robert Bosch GmbH
 SAP Polska
 Santander Consumer Bank
 Selena
 Siemens
 Société Générale Insurance Poland
 Supra Invest S.A.
 Südzucker
 Swiftway Sp. z o.o.
 Takto Finanse
 Telefonia Dialog SA
 Tieto
 UBS
 United Technologies Corporation
 UPM Raflatac
 Viessmann
 Volvo Polska sp. z o.o.
 WABCO Polska
 Whirlpool Polska S.A.
 Zender sp. z o.o.

International relations[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland
Twin towns and sister cities[edit]
Wrocław is twinned with:[92]

 Breda, Netherlands[92]
 Dresden, Germany, since 1963[92][93]
 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States[92]
 Hrodno, Belarus[92]
 Guadalajara, Mexico[92][94]
 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic[92]
 Kaunas, Lithuania,[92]
 Lviv, Ukraine.[92]
 Ramat Gan, Israel, since 1997[92][95]
 Wiesbaden, Germany, since 1987[92][96]
 Montevideo, Uruguay[92]
 Oxford, United Kingdom[97]
Partnerships[edit]

 Vienne, French département.[92]

Gallery[edit]


Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island)

Wrocław Cathedral

Interior of Wrocław Cathedral

 

John of Nepomuk Monument on Cathedral Island

Cathedral of St. Vincent and St. James

Royal Palace

Tenement houses at Wrocław Market Square

Market Square and St. Elizabeth's Church

 

Interior of Virgin Mary Church

Aleksander Fredro Monument

Salt Square

 Podwale District Court

University of Wrocław by night

Aula Leopoldina at the University of Wrocław

 

National Museum

Wrocław Puppet Theater

 Christmas Market in Market Square.

Wrocław water tower

St. Elizabeth Church

Piast Hotel
 Wrocław Market Hall

Ossolineum

Renoma Department Store

 Grunwald Square

Sky Tower

"Profile of Time" by Salvador Dalí at the Sky Tower

 

Monopol Hotel

Podwale tenement houses

Centennial Hall

White Stork Synagogue

Rędziński Bridge


Grunwald Bridge

Wrocław Main Station

Public bath, now a Spa

Leśnica Castle

The Fencer Fountain, 1904

Rzeźnicza Street
 

Jaś and Małgosia townhouses

The Main Library of the University of Wrocław

Ethnographic Museum

Archbishop's Palace

Notable people[edit]
See also: Category:People from Wrocław, List of people from Wrocław, and List of people from
Breslau

 Alois Alzheimer, psychiatrist and neuropathologist

 Adolf Anderssen, chess master
 Đorđe Andrejević-Kun, painter
 Natalia Avelon, actress
 Max Berg, architect
 Max Bielschowsky, neuropathologist
 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident
 Edmund Bojanowski, blessed of the Catholic Church
 Max Born, theoretical physicist and mathematician
 Leszek Czarnecki, businessman
 Hermann von Eichhorn, Prussian field marshal
 Hermann Fernau, lawyer
 Władysław Frasyniuk, politician
 Hans Freeman, biochemist
 Henryk Gulbinowicz, archbishop
 Jerzy Grotowski, theater director
 Fritz Haber, chemist
 Felix Hausdorff, mathematician
 Mirosław Hermaszewski, astronaut
 Lech Janerka, musician
 Carl Gotthard Langhans, architect
 Clara Immerwahr, chemist
 Alfred Kerr, German-Jewish critic
 Hedwig Kohn, notable female physicist
 August Kopisch, poet
 Urszula Kozioł, poet
 Heinrich Gerhard Kuhn, physicist
 Marek Krajewski, writer and linguist
 Wojciech Kurtyka, mountaineer
 Aleksandra Kurzak, operatic soprano
 Hugo Lubliner, dramatist
 Mateusz Morawiecki, politician, Prime minister of Poland
 Alexander Moszkowski, satirist, writer and philosopher
 Moritz Moszkowski, composer, pianist, and teacher
 Ruth Neudeck, German SS death camps supervisor and war criminal
 Sepp Piontek, football manager
 Michael Oser Rabin, mathematician and computer scientist
 Manfred von Richthofen, fighter pilot
 Tadeusz Różewicz, poet and dramatist
 Wanda Rutkiewicz, mountaineer
 Auguste Schmidt, educationist and feminist
 Marlene Schmidt, Miss Germany 1961, Miss Universe 1961
 Angelus Silesius (Johann Scheffler), convertite from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism, mystic
and religious poet
 Max Simon, Waffen-SS officer
 Agnes Sorma, actress
 Daniel Speer, author, composer
 Eva Stachniak, writer
 Edith Stein, philosopher and Roman Catholic martyr
 Charles Proteus Steinmetz, electrical engineer
 Fritz Stern, historian
 Julius Stern, composer
 William Stern, psychologist
 August Tholuck, theologian
 Henryk Tomaszewski, mime
 Dagmara Wozniak (born 1988), Polish-American U.S. Olympic sabre fencer
 See also[edit]

 Poland portal
 European Union portal

 14th High School in Wrocław

 2003 Wrocław football riot
 Fighting Solidarity
 History of Wrocław
 Jan (bishop of Wrocław)
 Microcosm: Portrait of a Central European City
 Province of Silesia (historic, 1815–1919)
 Wrocław Global Forum
 Ślęża
 Hydropolis Centre for Ecological Education

References