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117-942: The committee was organized in June 1862, in Warsaw . After establishing underground cells, levying a national tax to fund the upcoming insurrection and appointing a Polish police, it issued a manifesto for the beginning of what became the January Uprising against the Russian Empire . Thereafter it transformed itself into the Provisional National Government/Polish National Government of Poland (on January 22, 1863). Its main leaders included Stefan Bobrowski , Jarosław Dąbrowski , Zygmunt Padlewski , Agaton Giller , and Bronisław Szwarce . The official publication of

234-527: A Charter for European Security . Through its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE observes and assesses elections in its member states, in order to support fair and transparent democratic processes, in keeping with the mutual standards to which the organization is committed; between 1994 and 2004 the OSCE sent teams of observers to monitor more than 150 elections, typically focusing on elections in emerging democracies. In 2004, at

351-515: A castellany dates to 1313. With the completion of St John's Cathedral in 1390, Warsaw became one of the seats of the Dukes of Masovia and was officially made capital of the Masovian Duchy in 1413. The economy then predominantly rested on craftsmanship or trade, and the town housed approximately 4,500 people at the time. During the 15th century, the population migrated and spread beyond

468-463: A greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw the 7th most-populous city in the European Union . The city area measures 517 km (200 sq mi) and comprises 18 districts , while the metropolitan area covers 6,100 km (2,355 sq mi). Warsaw is classified as an alpha global city , a major cultural, political and economic hub, and

585-477: A personal union with Imperial Russia . The Royal University of Warsaw was established in 1816. With the violation of the Polish constitution , the 1830 November Uprising broke out against foreign influence. The Polish-Russian war of 1831 ended in the uprising's defeat and in the curtailment of Congress Poland's autonomy. On 27 February 1861, a Warsaw crowd protesting against Russian control over Congress Poland

702-672: A court in the Luhansk People's Republic for "alleged high treason and espionage for the United States." In March 2022, 45 participating States promoted, with the support of Ukraine, the activation of the Moscow Mechanism for the establishment of an independent expert mission on violations and abuses committed in the war of the Russian Federation, supported by Belarus, against Ukraine. The report of

819-525: A different pattern of geomorphological forms. There are several levels of the Vistula plain terraces (flooded as well as formerly flooded), and only a small part is a not-so-visible moraine escarpment. Aeolian sand with a number of dunes parted by peat swamps or small ponds cover the highest terrace. These are mainly forested areas ( pine forest ). Warsaw experiences an oceanic ( Köppen : Cfb) or humid continental ( Köppen : Dfb) climate, depending on

936-720: A great inspiration from the Roman period. The best-known architect who worked in Warsaw at the time was Domenico Merlini , who designed the Palace on the Isle . Other significant buildings from this period include Królikarnia , Holy Trinity Church , St. Anne's Church, Warsaw . Also in the first half of the 19th century, neoclassicism dominated the architecture of Warsaw. Old buildings were rebuilt and new ones were built in this style. The neoclassical revival affected all aspects of architecture;

1053-399: A height 75.6 m (248 ft) (at the right bank of the Vistula, by the eastern border of Warsaw). There are some hills (mostly artificial) located within the confines of the city – e.g. Warsaw Uprising Hill (121 m (397 ft)) and Szczęśliwice hill (138 m (453 ft) – the highest point of Warsaw in general). Warsaw is located on two main geomorphologic formations:

1170-424: A more westward position. In 1945, after the bombings, revolts, fighting, and demolition had ended, most of Warsaw lay in ruins. The area of the former ghetto was razed to the ground, with only a sea of rubble remaining. The immense destruction prompted a temporary transfer of the new government and its officials to Łódź , which became the transitional seat of power. Nevertheless, Warsaw officially resumed its role as

1287-476: A noticeable mark on its architecture and urban form. Unlike most Polish cities, Warsaw's cityscape is mostly contemporary – modern glass buildings are towering above older historical edifices which is a common feature of North American metropolises. Warsaw is among the European cities with the highest number of skyscrapers and is home to European Union's tallest building . Skyscrapers are mostly centered around

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1404-529: A statement expressing concern over the alleged security breach. Russia has accused members of the Mission of working for the Ukrainian SBU and of spying on the pro-Russian separatists. Furthermore, Russia has accused the mission of bias after it reported troop movements from separatist forces, accusing the mission of ignoring similar moves from Ukraine. Russia's foreign minister also has claimed that

1521-660: A variety of European architectural styles, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980. Other landmarks include the Royal Castle , Sigismund's Column , the Wilanów Palace , the Palace on the Isle , St. John's Archcathedral , Main Market Square , and numerous churches and mansions along the Royal Route . Warsaw is a green capital, with around a quarter of the city's area occupied by parks. In sports,

1638-607: A vehicle with the organization's markings; this prompted allegations that the OSCE was biased in the war and not interested in carrying out its duties of mediating a ceasefire. The organization issued a statement regretting the incident. Moreover, the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk (which is organizationally separate from the Special Monitoring Mission) also received criticism alleging that only two checkpoints on

1755-645: Is concerned with early warning , conflict prevention, crisis management , and post-conflict rehabilitation. The Organization has its roots in the 1975 Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). Talks had been mooted about a European security grouping since the 1950s but the Cold War prevented any substantial progress until the talks at Dipoli in Espoo began in November 1972. These talks were held at

1872-535: Is one of the cities with the highest number of skyscrapers in Europe. Although contemporary Warsaw is a fairly young city compared to other European capitals, it has numerous tourist attractions and architectural monuments dating back centuries. Apart from the Warsaw Old Town area, reconstructed after World War II, each borough has something to offer. Among the most notable landmarks of the Old Town are

1989-804: Is represented by the Metropolitan Office Building at Pilsudski Square and Varso tower, both by Norman Foster , Warsaw University Library (BUW) by Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski, featuring a garden on its roof and view of the Vistula River, Rondo 1 office building by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill , Złota 44 residential skyscraper by Daniel Libeskind , Museum of the History of Polish Jews by Rainer Mahlamäki and Golden Terraces , consisting of seven overlapping domes retail and business centre. Jointly with Moscow, Istanbul, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rotterdam, Warsaw

2106-483: Is represented in the majestic churches but also at the burgher houses and fortifications. The most significant buildings are St John's Cathedral (1390), a typical example of the so-called Masovian Brick Gothic style; St Mary's Church (1411); the Burbach townhouse (14th century); Gunpowder Tower (after 1379); and Royal Castle 's Curia Maior (1407–1410). The most notable examples of Renaissance architecture in

2223-615: The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence still rankles in Russia. The ongoing Mission to Macedonia is monitoring and supporting the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement that put an end to the 2001 armed conflict in North Macedonia . The current mission to Serbia started after Slobodan Milošević lost his power as President of Serbia and Montenegro in 2000. The mission was mandated to assist

2340-585: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . The amount means a tenth of the Polish capital's population of 1.8 million — the second-largest single group of Ukrainian refugees. Warsaw lies in east-central Poland about 300 km (190 mi) from the Carpathian Mountains and about 260 km (160 mi) from the Baltic Sea , 523 km (325 mi) east of Berlin, Germany. The city straddles

2457-576: The Armenia–Azerbaijan border . The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. The OSCE mandate in Ukraine expired on March 31, 2022, due to objections by Russia. On April 24, 2022, the OSCE protested the detention of four staff members in Donetsk and Luhansk, without specifying who had detained them. On 20 September, two Ukrainian OSCE staffers were sentenced to 13 years of prison by

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2574-834: The Domestic Economy Bank , the directorate of the Polish State Railways , the Supreme Audit Office , and the campus of the Warsaw School of Economics . New districts were also established in Żoliborz , Ochota , and Mokotów , often designed around a central square with radiating streets ( Narutowicz Square , Wilson Square ). Examples of new large urban projects are the Staszic and Lubecki colonies in Ochota . Exceptional examples of

2691-647: The East End of London and London Docklands . Poorer religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Jews, settled in the crowded parts of northern Warsaw, in Muranów . The Imperial Census of 1897 recorded 626,000 people living in Warsaw, making it the third-largest city of the Empire after St. Petersburg and Moscow as well as the largest city in the region. Grand architectural complexes and structures were also erected in

2808-693: The General Government , a German Nazi colonial administration. All higher education institutions were immediately closed and Warsaw's entire Jewish population – several hundred thousand, some 30% of the city – were herded into the Warsaw Ghetto . In July 1942, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto began to be deported en masse to the Aktion Reinhard extermination camps, particularly Treblinka . The city would become

2925-554: The Ghetto Uprising in 1943, the general Warsaw Uprising in 1944, and systematic razing . Warsaw is served by three international airports, the busiest being Warsaw Chopin , as well as Warsaw Modlin and Warsaw Radom Airport . Major public transport services operating in the city include the Warsaw Metro , buses , commuter rail service and an extensive tram network . The city is a significant economic centre for

3042-806: The Jewish Combat Organization . Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control , the promotion of human rights , freedom of the press , and free and fair elections . It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna , Austria , and its institutions. It has observer status at

3159-743: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe was criticized from within by the Latvian delegation for lacking transparency and democracy. Spencer Oliver (b. 1938) secretary general of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, who held the post from the organization's inception in 1992 until 2015, faced a challenge from the Latvian Artis Pabriks . According to

3276-663: The Red Army was deep into Polish territory and pursuing the Nazis toward Warsaw. The Polish government-in-exile in London gave orders to the underground Home Army (AK) to try to seize control of Warsaw before the Red Army arrived. Thus, on 1 August 1944, as the Red Army was nearing the city, the Warsaw uprising began. The armed struggle, planned to last 48 hours, was partially successful, however, it went on for 63 days. Eventually,

3393-468: The Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognised borders with a special status for Transnistria . OSCE promoted a 5+2 format as a diplomatic negotiation platform, which began in 2005, suspended by Russia and Transnistria in 2006 until it started again in 2012, before making slow progress over the next ten years. The process stopped following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as two of

3510-614: The Royal Castle , Sigismund's Column , Market Square , and the Barbican . Further south is the so-called Royal Route , with many historical churches, Baroque and Classicist palaces, most notably the Presidential Palace , and the University of Warsaw campus. The former royal residence of King John III Sobieski at Wilanów is notable for its Baroque architecture and eloquent palatial garden. In many places in

3627-467: The U.S. Department of State stated that OSCE observers enjoyed immunities. In the event, no incidents between OSCE and Texas authorities were recorded during the elections. In April 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the OSCE for reporting that opposition "No" campaigners in the Turkish constitutional referendum had faced bans, police interventions and arrests. Erdoğan said: "Now

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3744-838: The United Nations . The OSCE had its origins in 1975: its predecessors came together during the era of the Cold War to form a forum for discussion between the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc . Most of its 57 participating countries are in Europe , but with some members in Asia or in North America . The participating countries comprise much of the land area of the Northern Hemisphere . The OSCE

3861-550: The Vistula River. It is located in the heartland of the Masovian Plain , and its average elevation is 100 m (330 ft) above sea level. The highest point on the left side of the city lies at a height of 115.7 m (380 ft) ("Redutowa" bus depot, district of Wola), on the right side – 122.1 m (401 ft) ("Groszówka" estate, district of Wesoła, by the eastern border). The lowest point lies at

3978-793: The Vistula escarpment were constructed. In the architecture of Catholic churches, the Counter-Reformation type became a novelty, exemplified by the Church of St. Anthony of Padua , the Carmelite Church and the Holy Cross Church . Warsaw Baroque from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries was characterized by building facades with a predominance of vertical elements close to the wall and numerous ornaments . The most important architect working in Warsaw at that time

4095-516: The Wedel factory and the extensive Municipal Gasworks complex . In the architecture of the 1920s, national historicism and other historical forms were dominant. Art Deco forms also appeared, and towards the end of the decade, avant-garde functionalism emerged. The creation of urban plans for the capital of Poland can be traced back to 1916, when, after the retreat of the Russians from Warsaw and

4212-571: The bourgeois architecture of the later periods were not restored by the communist authorities after the war or were remodelled into a socialist realist style (like Warsaw Philharmonic edifice originally inspired by Palais Garnier in Paris ). Despite that, the Warsaw University of Technology (Polytechnic) building. is the most interesting of the late 19th-century architecture. Some 19th-century industrial and brick workhouse buildings in

4329-463: The Śródmieście district, with many located in the commercial district of Wola . A concentric zone pattern emerged within the last decades; the majority of Warsaw's residents live outside the commercial city centre and commute by metro , bus or tram. Tenements and apartments in the central neighbourhoods are often reserved for commercial activity or temporary (tourist, student) accommodation. The nearest residential zones are predominantly located on

4446-643: The "eyes and ears of the international community", others have accused the mission of bias towards either Russia or Ukraine. On 27 April 2014, the Girkin group that had taken control in the city of Sloviansk took eight members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) as hostages. The group appointed Vyacheslav Ponomarev as mayor of the city. During the war in Donbas , an OSCE observer allowed Russian separatists to travel in

4563-448: The 19th century that had survived in a reasonably reconstructible form were nonetheless demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, like the Kronenberg Palace . The Śródmieście (central) region's urban system was completely reshaped; former cobblestone streets were asphalted and significantly widened for traffic use. Many notable streets such as Gęsia, Nalewki and Wielka disappeared as a result of these changes and some were split in half due to

4680-428: The 880-meter Piaseczyński Canal on the axis of Ujazdów Castle , the Ujazdów Calvary and the Saxon Axis . The Visitationist Church also dates from this period. The neoclassical architecture began to be the main style in the capital's architecture in Warsaw in the second half of the 18th century thanks to King Stanisław August Poniatowski . It can be described by the simplicity of the geometrical forms teamed with

4797-439: The CSCE. The Charter of Paris for a New Europe , signed on 21 November 1990, marked the beginning of this change. The process was capped by the renaming of the CSCE as the OSCE on 1 January 1995, in accordance with the results of a conference held in Budapest in 1994. The OSCE now had a formal secretariat, a Senior Council, a Parliamentary Assembly, a Conflict Prevention Centre, and an Office for Free Elections, which later became

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4914-440: The European Union. The city's primary educational and cultural institutions comprise the University of Warsaw , the Warsaw University of Technology , the SGH Warsaw School of Economics , the Chopin University of Music , the Polish Academy of Sciences , the National Philharmonic Orchestra , the National Museum , and the Warsaw Grand Theatre , the largest of its kind in the world. The reconstructed Old Town , which represents

5031-606: The Home Army fighters and civilians assisting them were forced to capitulate. They were transported to PoW camps in Germany, while the entire civilian population was expelled. Polish civilian deaths are estimated at between 150,000 and 200,000. Hitler, ignoring the agreed terms of the capitulation, ordered the entire city to be razed to the ground and the library and museum collections taken to Germany or burned. Monuments and government buildings were blown up by special German troops known as Verbrennungs- und Vernichtungskommando ("Burning and Destruction Detachments"). About 85% of

5148-407: The Mission of Experts was presented to the OSCE Permanent Council on 13 April 2022 and documented clear patterns of violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. OSCE/ ODIHR continues to monitor the violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine. On 2 June 2022, the same 45 participating States invoked again

5265-476: The Moscow Mechanism to establish a new mission of experts to consider, follow up and build upon the findings of the Moscow Mechanism report published in April 2022. The subsequent report, presented on 14 July 2022 to the OSCE Permanent Council, confirmed the outcomes of the previous mission and identified blatant violations of international humanitarian law, mainly attributable to the Russian armed forces, as well as widespread violations of human rights, especially in

5382-442: The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. According to a letter that was sent by Russian OSCE representatives to OSCE Secretary-General Helga Schmid in January 2023, 71 trucks and cars were brought to the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic as "evidence" and criminal proceedings were initiated against former OSCE personnel for espionage. In 2004, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly sent election observers to

5499-411: The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. In December 1996, the " Lisbon Declaration on a Common and Comprehensive Security Model for Europe for the Twenty-First Century" affirmed the universal and indivisible nature of security on the European continent. In Istanbul on 19 November 1999, the OSCE ended a two-day summit by calling for a political settlement in Chechnya and adopting

5616-421: The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says if the result is 'yes', that means there are a lot of problems. Who are you? First of all, you should know your place. This is not your duty." On 21 March 2014, the OSCE deployed its Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine at the request of Ukraine's government. The mission has received mixed reviews. While some observers have applauded its function as

5733-602: The Praga district were restored, though many have been poorly maintained or demolished. Notable examples of post-war architecture include the Palace of Culture and Science , a soc-realist and art deco skyscraper based on the Empire State Building in New York. The Constitution Square with its monumental socialist realism architecture (MDM estate) was modelled on the grand squares of Paris, London, Moscow and Rome . Italianate tuscan-styled colonnades based on those at Piazza della Repubblica in Rome were also erected on Saviour Square . Contemporary architecture in Warsaw

5850-436: The Russian–Ukrainian border are currently being monitored, which Daniel Baer, the US ambassador to the OSCE at the time, described as "seriously inadequate". The mission has been criticized for taking months to deploy drones to help monitor borders as well as withdrawing them after only several weeks of use due to Russian electronic attacks. Drones have been reintroduced to observe the conflict in 2018. In 2014, an advisor to

5967-401: The U.S. presidential elections. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's president at the time was Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings . Hastings had previously been impeached for corruption by the U.S. Congress. The OSCE faced criticism of partisanship and double standards due to Hastings's past and the fact that the OSCE's mandate was to promote democracy and the values of civil society. In 2010,

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6084-460: The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence wrongly claimed that approximately 80% of the OSCE observers located near Mariupol were Russian citizens and that many had ties to Russian security agencies such as the FSB and the GRU . In reality, one observer out of 17 in Mariupol was a Russian citizen. In total, the mission reports the number of Russian citizens in its ranks as 39 out of 720, or 5,4%. The organization has also been accused of allegedly revealing

6201-452: The Vistula terraces is asymmetrical. The left side consists mainly of two levels: the highest one contains former flooded terraces and the lowest one is the floodplain terrace. The contemporary flooded terrace still has visible valleys and ground depressions with water systems coming from the old Vistula – riverbed. They consist of still quite natural streams and lakes as well as the pattern of drainage ditches. The right side of Warsaw has

6318-413: The architectural landscape of the city only began in the mid-1920s. The forming state structures needed headquarters, leading to the construction of many monumental public buildings, including the buildings of the Sejm and the Senate , the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education , the Ministry of Public Works , the National Museum , the State Geological Institute , the State Agricultural Bank,

6435-435: The artists from the court circle of King Sigismund III Vasa (the early Warsaw Baroque is referred to as Vasa Baroque). Among the first structures of the early Baroque, the most important are St. Hyacinth's Church and Sigismund's Column , the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. At that time, part of the Royal Castle was rebuilt in this style, the Ujazdów Castle and numerous Baroque palaces on

6552-455: The authorities and civil society with democratic development and human rights protection, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. To promote democratisation, tolerance and the rule of law. The current mission began with the 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum , monitored by OSCE, with a mandate being granted with the objective of assisting and promoting the implementation of OSCE principles and commitments including

6669-423: The banks of the Vistula river. One hypothesis states that Warszawa means "belonging to Warsz", Warsz being a shortened form of the masculine Old Polish name Warcisław, which etymologically is linked with Wrocław . However the ending -awa is unusual for a large city; the names of Polish cities derived from personal names usually end in -ów/owo/ew/ewo (e.g. Piotrków, Adamów). Folk etymology attributes

6786-440: The beginnings of the German occupation, the territories of the surrounding municipalities were annexed to the city. Even before Poland regained its independence, parallel to the creation of the administration of the future state, the first urban visions were emerging. These included, among others, the construction of a representative government district in the southern part of Śródmieście . However, major changes in urban planning and

6903-410: The capital Tbilisi . The Mission's mandate expired on 31 December 2008. Between these dates it was powerless to control the outbreak of the August 2008 Russo-Georgian war . The objective of the mission to Moldova is to facilitate a comprehensive and lasting political settlement of the Transnistria conflict in all its aspects, strengthening the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of

7020-415: The capital of Poland and the country's centre of political and economic life. After World War II, the "Bricks for Warsaw" campaign was initiated and large prefabricated housing projects were erected in Warsaw to address the major housing shortage. Plattenbau -styled apartment buildings were seen as a solution to avoid Warsaw's former density problem and to create more green spaces. Some of the buildings from

7137-400: The capitals of the Commonwealth's two component parts, Poland and Lithuania, which were Kraków and Vilnius respectively, Warsaw became the capital of the Commonwealth and the Polish Crown when Sigismund III Vasa transferred his royal court in 1596. In the subsequent years the town significantly expanded to the south and westwards. Several private independent districts ( jurydyka ) were

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7254-438: The centre of urban resistance to Nazi rule in occupied Europe. When the order came to annihilate the ghetto as part of Hitler 's " Final Solution " on 19 April 1943, Jewish fighters launched the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising . Despite being heavily outgunned and outnumbered, the ghetto held out for almost a month. When the fighting ended, almost all survivors were massacred, with only a few managing to escape or hide. By July 1944,

7371-401: The city across the Vistula . Warszawa Główna railway station (1932–1939) was not completed due to the outbreak of the Second World War . Stefan Starzyński was the Mayor of Warsaw between 1934 and 1939. After the German Invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the Second World War, Warsaw was defended until 27 September. Central Poland, including Warsaw, came under the rule of

7488-405: The city are the house of the Baryczko merchant family (1562), a building called "The Negro" (early 17th century), and Salwator tenement (1632), all situated on the Old Market Place . The most interesting examples of Mannerist architecture are the Royal Castle (1596–1619) and the Jesuit Church (1609–1626). Baroque architecture arrived in Warsaw at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries with

7605-438: The city centre, including the Warsaw Philharmonic , the Church of the Holiest Saviour and tenements along Marszałkowska Street . During World War I , Warsaw was occupied by Germany from 4 August 1915 until November 1918. The Armistice of 11 November 1918 concluded that defeated Germany is to withdraw from all foreign areas, which included Warsaw. Germany did so, and underground leader Józef Piłsudski returned to Warsaw on

7722-426: The city in a style similar to Dresden . The year 1727 marked the opening of the Saxon Garden in Warsaw, the first publicly accessible park. The Załuski Library , the first Polish public library and the largest at the time, was founded in 1747. Stanisław II Augustus , who remodelled the interior of the Royal Castle , also made Warsaw a centre of culture and the arts. He extended the Royal Baths Park and ordered

7839-425: The city is home to Legia Warsaw football club and hosts the annual Warsaw Marathon . Warsaw's name in the Polish language is Warszawa . Other previous spellings of the name may have included: Warszewa , Warszowa , Worszewa or Werszewa . The exact origin and meaning of the name is uncertain and has not been fully determined. Originally, Warszawa was the name of a small fishing settlement on

7956-532: The city name to Wars and Sawa . There are several versions of the legend with their appearance. According to one version, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula with whom fisherman Wars fell in love. The official city name in full is miasto stołeczne Warszawa ("The Capital City of Warsaw"). A native or resident of Warsaw is known as a Varsovian – in Polish warszawiak , warszawianin (male), warszawianka (female), warszawiacy , and warszawianie (plural). The first fortified settlements on

8073-416: The city the Jewish culture and history resonates down through time. Among them the most notable are the Jewish theater , the Nożyk Synagogue , Janusz Korczak 's Orphanage and the picturesque Próżna Street. The tragic pages of Warsaw's history are commemorated in places such as the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes , the Umschlagplatz , fragments of the ghetto wall on Sienna Street and a mound in memory of

8190-443: The city was destroyed, including the historic Old Town and the Royal Castle. On 17 January 1945 – after the beginning of the Vistula–Oder Offensive of the Red Army  – Soviet troops and Polish troops of the First Polish Army entered the ruins of Warsaw, and liberated Warsaw's suburbs from German occupation. The city was swiftly freed by the Soviet Army, which rapidly advanced towards Łódź , as German forces regrouped at

8307-403: The city, and the Saxon Palace underwent a complete reconstruction, where the central body of the building was demolished and replaced by a monumental 11-bay colonnade . In the mid-19th century, the industrial revolution reached Warsaw, leading to the mass use of iron as a building material. In 1845, the Warsaw-Vienna Railway Station was opened. Another important aspect of the developing city

8424-556: The classes in the two precincts led to a minor revolt in 1525. Following the sudden death of Janusz III and the extinction of the local ducal line, Masovia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland in 1526. Bona Sforza , wife of Sigismund I of Poland , was widely accused of poisoning the duke to uphold Polish rule over Warsaw. In 1529, Warsaw for the first time became the seat of a General Sejm and held that privilege permanently from 1569. The city's rising importance encouraged

8541-593: The committee was the newspaper "Ruch" . This article about an organisation in Poland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Warsaw Warsaw , officially the Capital City of Warsaw , is the capital and largest city of Poland . The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within

8658-502: The construction of Plac Defilad (Parade Square), one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Much of the central district was also designated for future skyscrapers. The 237-metre Palace of Culture and Science resembling New York's Empire State Building was built as a gift from the Soviet Union. Warsaw's urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture. Despite wartime destruction and post-war remodelling, many of

8775-578: The construction of a new set of defenses, including the landmark Barbican . Renowned Italian architects were brought to Warsaw to reshape the Royal Castle , the streets and the marketplace, resulting in the Old Town's early Italianate appearance. In 1573, the city gave its name to the Warsaw Confederation which formally established religious freedom in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . Due to its central location between

8892-523: The construction or refurbishment of numerous palaces, mansions and richly-decorated tenements. This earned Warsaw the nickname Paris of the North . Warsaw remained the capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795 when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in the third and final partition of Poland ; it subsequently became the capital of the province of South Prussia . During this time, Louis XVIII of France spent his exile in Warsaw under

9009-533: The country's seat of government. It is also the capital of the Masovian Voivodeship . Warsaw traces its origins to a small fishing town in Masovia . The city rose to prominence in the late 16th century, when Sigismund III decided to move the Polish capital and his royal court from Kraków . Warsaw served as the de facto capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795, and subsequently as

9126-684: The development of a multi-national and multi-ethnic democratic society. The OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission was established by the Permanent Council in October 1998 and shuttered in June 1999 amidst the recalcitrance of the Milosevic regime . The 1999 OSCE Mission in Kosovo took over the work in Kosovo where it concentrates on institution and democracy building, as well as human rights. The OSCE's refusal to police events surrounding

9243-444: The expansion and modernisation of trams, street lighting, and gas infrastructure. Between 1850 and 1882, the population grew by 134% to 383,000 as a result of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Many migrated from surrounding rural Masovian towns and villages to the city for employment opportunities. The western borough of Wola was transformed from an agricultural periphery occupied mostly by small farms and windmills (mills being

9360-542: The face" of Poland. These words were meaningful for Varsovians and Poles who understood them as the incentive for liberal-democratic reforms. In 1995, the Warsaw Metro opened with a single line. A second line was opened in March 2015. On 28 September 2022, three new Warsaw metro stations were opened, increasing the number of Warsaw Metro stations to 36 and its length to 38.3 kilometers. In February 2023, Warsaw's mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski , announced plans to more than double

9477-471: The historic streets, buildings, and churches were restored to their original form. John Paul II 's visits to his native country in 1979 and 1983 brought support to the budding "Solidarity" movement and encouraged the growing anti-communist fervor there. In 1979, less than a year after becoming pope, John Paul celebrated Mass in Victory Square in Warsaw and ended his sermon with a call to "renew

9594-655: The invitation of the United States Government, the ODIHR deployed an assessment mission, made up of participants from six OSCE member states, which observed that year's US presidential election and produced a report. It was the first time that a US presidential election was the subject of OSCE monitoring, although the organization had previously monitored state-level American elections in Florida and California, in 2002 and 2003. Members of OSCE have criticised

9711-837: The isotherm used; although the city used to be humid continental regardless of isotherm prior to the recent effect of climate change and the city's urban heat island . Meanwhile, by the genetic climate classification of Wincenty Okołowicz , it has a temperate "fusion" climate, with both oceanic and continental features. The city has cold, sometimes snowy, cloudy winters, and warm, relatively sunny but frequently stormy summers. Spring and autumn can be unpredictable, highly prone to sudden weather changes; however, temperatures are usually mild, especially around May and September. The daily average temperature ranges between −1.5 °C (29 °F) in January and 19.7 °C (67.5 °F) in July and

9828-495: The locations of Ukrainian troops to Russian forces during the conflict. On 1 December 2014, the mission was in the area to "facilitate a local ceasefire and monitor the repair works on a power station", that it "heard an exchange of artillery fire between unspecified parties", and that "artillery rounds were impacting at approximately 1km to the east of the SMM's position; therefore the SMM left due to security concerns". Furthermore,

9945-511: The mean year temperature is 9.0 °C (48.2 °F). Temperatures may reach 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer, although the effects of hot weather are usually offset by relatively low dew points and large diurnal temperature differences. Warsaw is Europe's sixth driest major city (driest in Central Europe ), with yearly rainfall averaging 550 mm (22 in), the wettest month being July. Warsaw's long and eclectic history left

10062-544: The mission failed to pay sufficient attention to human and minority rights within the Government-controlled areas of Ukraine. Furthermore, he criticised that the mission did not clearly attribute ceasefire violations to either side. An OSCE Needs Assessment Team was sent to Armenia between 21 and 27 October 2022 following the Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis . The request was made by the government of Armenia . The OSCE sent international experts to monitor

10179-713: The most notable examples are the Great Theater , buildings located at Bank Square , headquarters of the Warsaw Society of Friends of Sciences ( Staszic Palace ), St. Alexander's Church , the Belweder . Many classicist tenement houses were built on Senatorska Street and along Nowy Świat Street . After the outbreak of the November Uprising , the Warsaw Citadel was constructed in the north of

10296-432: The namesake of Wola's central neighbourhood Młynów ) to an industrial and manufacturing centre. Metallurgical , textile and glassware factories were commonplace, with chimneys dominating the westernmost skyline. Like London , Warsaw's population was subjected to income segmentation. Gentrification of inner suburbs forced poorer residents to move across the river into Praga or Powiśle and Solec districts, similar to

10413-480: The northern city wall into a newly formed self-governing precinct called New Town . The existing older settlement became eventually known as the Old Town . Both possessed their own town charter and independent councils. The aim of establishing a separate district was to accommodate new incomers or "undesirables" who were not permitted to settle in Old Town, particularly Jews . Social and financial disparities between

10530-435: The organisation for being in a position where Russia, and sometimes Belarus, can veto all OSCE decisions, Moscow has, for a number of years, not allowed the approval of the organisation's budget, the organisation of official OSCE events or the extension of missions. In November 2023 they vetoed the appointment of Estonia as chairman from 2024. The OSCE Mission to Georgia was established in November 1992 with its headquarters in

10647-586: The outskirts of the inner borough, in Ochota , Mokotów and Żoliborz or along the Vistula in Powiśle . A seat of Polish monarchs since the end of the 16th century, Warsaw remained a small city with only privately owned palaces, mansions, villas and several streets of townhouses. These displayed a richness of color and architectonic details. The finest German, Italian and Dutch architects were employed, among them Tylman van Gameren , Andreas Schlüter , Jakub Fontana , and Enrico Marconi . The buildings situated in

10764-611: The parties were then at war with each other. In December 2022 Russia blocked the renewal of the annual mandate by limiting it to a six month period, repeated again in June 2023 to another six month period. The Bosnian War concluded in 1995 with the Dayton Agreement with the ongoing OSCE Mission being mandated to helping to secure lasting peace and therefore to build a stable, secure, and democratic state through building sustainable democratic institutions, strengthening good governance and human rights principles, and supporting

10881-405: The picture is an individual incident that should not be abused to cast a shadow on the reputation of other mission members." The OSCE reported that the monitors were no longer with the OSCE special monitoring mission. In April 2017, an OSCE vehicle struck a mine, which killed one SMM member and injured two. Two armoured vehicles were on patrol near Luhansk when one struck the mine. The dead man

10998-489: The plain moraine plateau and the Vistula Valley with its asymmetrical pattern of different terraces. The Vistula River is the specific axis of Warsaw, which divides the city into two parts, left and right. The left one is situated both on the moraine plateau (10 to 25 m (33 to 82 ft) above Vistula level) and on the Vistula terraces (max. 6.5 m (21 ft) above Vistula level). The significant element of

11115-602: The politico-military and human aspects of security and stability. Before the U.S. presidential elections of November 2012, the OSCE announced its intention to send electoral observers to Texas and to other U.S. states . This prompted the Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott to send letters to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to the OSCE, threatening to arrest OSCE officials if they should enter electoral premises in Texas and break Texas law . In reply,

11232-659: The populations of the communist bloc . The recommendations of the talks, in the form of "The Blue Book", gave the practical foundations for a three-stage conference called the "Helsinki process". The CSCE opened in Helsinki on 3 July 1973 with 35 states sending representatives. Stage I took only five days to agree to follow the Blue Book. Stage II was the main working phase and was conducted in Geneva from 18 September 1973 until 21 July 1975. The result of Stage II

11349-667: The property of aristocrats and the gentry, which they ruled by their own laws. Between 1655 and 1658 the city was besieged and pillaged by the Swedish, Brandenburgian and Transylvanian forces. The conduct of the Great Northern War (1700–1721) also forced Warsaw to pay heavy tributes to the invading armies. The reign of Augustus II and Augustus III was a time of great development for Warsaw, which turned into an early-capitalist city. The Saxon monarchs employed many German architects, sculptors and engineers, who rebuilt

11466-482: The pseudonym Comte de Lille . Warsaw was made the capital of a newly created French client state , known as the Duchy of Warsaw , after a portion of Poland's territory was liberated from Prussia, Russia and Austria by Napoleon in 1806. Following Napoleon's defeat and exile, the 1815 Congress of Vienna assigned Warsaw to Congress Poland , a constitutional monarchy within the easternmost sector (or partition) under

11583-659: The region, with the Warsaw Stock Exchange being the largest in Central and Eastern Europe . It is the base for Frontex , the European Union agency for external border security, and ODIHR , one of the principal institutions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe . Warsaw has one of Europe's highest concentrations of skyscrapers , and the Varso Place is the tallest building in

11700-429: The relief, in this part of Warsaw, is the edge of moraine plateau called Warsaw Escarpment. It is 20 to 25 m (66 to 82 ft) high in the Old Town and Central district and about 10 m (33 ft) in the north and south of Warsaw. It goes through the city and plays an important role as a landmark. The plain moraine plateau has only a few natural and artificial ponds and also groups of clay pits . The pattern of

11817-652: The report states that the "SMM team in the JCCC was in constant contact with the SMM team in Staromikhailivka". No mention of a wounded observer is made. On 27 October 2015, a suspended OSCE monitor confirmed he had been a former employee of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate . The suspended SMM stated that he had no trouble receiving the position and neither the OSCE nor Ukraine's Security Service thoroughly checked his background. Following

11934-400: The report the OSCE issued a comment stating the monitor had been fired due to violations of the organization's code of conduct. On 6 April 2016, photos of OSCE monitors attending the wedding of a Russian separatist emerged. The wedding had taken place in June 2015. The OSCE expressed regret over the incident, issuing a statement saying "The unprofessional behaviour displayed by the monitors in

12051-459: The rules of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the incumbent general secretary can only be replaced with a full consensus minus one. Pabriks called the rules "quite shocking from the perspective of an organization that's monitoring elections". The six official languages of the OSCE are English , French , German , Italian , Spanish and Russian . A unique aspect of the OSCE is the non-binding status of its constitutive charter. Rather than being

12168-671: The same day which marked the beginning of the Second Polish Republic , the first truly sovereign Polish state after 1795. In the course of the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921), the 1920 Battle of Warsaw was fought on the eastern outskirts of the city. Poland successfully defended the capital, stopped the brunt of the Bolshevik Red Army and temporarily halted the " export of the communist revolution " to other parts of Europe. The interwar period (1918–1939)

12285-412: The seat of Napoleon 's Duchy of Warsaw . The 19th century and its Industrial Revolution brought a demographic boom, which made it one of the largest and most densely populated cities in Europe. Known then for its elegant architecture and boulevards, Warsaw was bombed and besieged at the start of World War II in 1939. Much of the historic city was destroyed and its diverse population decimated by

12402-466: The site of today's Warsaw were located in Bródno (9th/10th century) and Jazdów (12th/13th century). After Jazdów was raided by nearby clans and dukes, a new fortified settlement was established on the site of a small fishing village called "Warszowa". The Prince of Płock , Bolesław II of Masovia, established the modern-day city in about 1300 and the first historical document attesting to the existence of

12519-415: The size of the city's metro system by 2050. With the entry of Poland into the European Union in 2004, Warsaw is experiencing the large economic boom. The opening fixture of UEFA Euro 2012 took place in Warsaw and the city also hosted the 2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference and the 2016 NATO Summit . As of August 2022, Warsaw had received around 180,000 refugees from Ukraine, because of

12636-530: The suggestion of the Soviet Union which wished to use the talks to maintain its control over the communist states in Eastern Europe , and President of Finland Urho Kekkonen hosted them in order to bolster his policy of neutrality . Western Europe , however, saw these talks as a way to reduce the tension in the region, furthering economic cooperation and obtaining humanitarian improvements for

12753-565: The territories under effective control of the Russian Federation. The Russian delegation was not invited to the 29th OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2022 where the delegates considered the ramifications and regional security challenges created by Russia's continued war against Ukraine. There were calls to assess the reparations that Russia should be accountable for. Since the start of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has seized €2.7 million worth of armored vehicles that were previously part of

12870-533: The vicinity of the Warsaw Old Town represent nearly every European architectural style and historical period . Warsaw has excellent examples of architecture from the Gothic , Renaissance , Baroque and Neoclassical periods, all of which are located within walking distance of the centre. This architectural richness has led to Warsaw being described by some commentators as a " Paris of the East ". Gothic architecture

12987-616: Was Tylman van Gameren . His projects include the Krasiński Palace , Palace of the Four Winds , Ostrogski Palace , Czapski Palace , Brühl Palace , and St. Kazimierz Church . The most significant Baroque building of this period is the Wilanów Palace , built on the order of King John III Sobieski . The late Baroque era was the epoch of the Saxon Kings (1697–1763). During this time, three major spatial projects were realized:

13104-489: Was a time of major development in the city's infrastructure. New modernist housing estates were built in Mokotów to de-clutter the densely populated inner suburbs. In 1921, Warsaw's total area was estimated at only 124.7 km with 1 million inhabitants–over 8,000 people/km made Warsaw more densely populated than contemporary London. The Średnicowy Bridge was constructed for railway (1921–1931), connecting both parts of

13221-614: Was an American paramedic, while the injured included a woman from Germany and a man from the Czech Republic . On 18 July 2018, the German broadcaster ARD reported that Russian intelligence services had received inside information about the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine from a staff member of the OSCE. The insider information consisted of observers' preferences in alcohol and women, their financial situation, and their contacts in Ukraine. The OSCE issued

13338-407: Was ensuring access to water and sewage disposal. The first modern Warsaw water supply system was launched in 1855, designed by one of the most outstanding architects of that period – Enrico Marconi , who designed also All Saints Church . The dynamic development of the railway became a factor that enabled equally dynamic development of Warsaw's industry. Among the establishments built at that time were

13455-588: Was fired upon by Russian troops. Five people were killed. The Underground Polish National Government resided in Warsaw during the January Uprising in 1863–64. Warsaw flourished throughout the 19th century under Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1875–92), who was appointed by Alexander III . Under Starynkiewicz Warsaw saw its first water and sewer systems designed and built by the English engineer William Lindley and his son, William Heerlein Lindley , as well as

13572-883: Was the Helsinki Final Act . This was signed by the 35 participating states during Stage III, which took place in Finlandia Hall between 30 July – 1 August 1975. It was opened by the Holy See 's diplomat Cardinal Agostino Casaroli , who was the chairman of the conference. The concepts of improving relations and implementing the act were developed over a series of follow-up meetings, with major gatherings in Belgrade (4 October 1977 – 8 March 1978), Madrid (11 November 1980 – 9 September 1983) and Vienna (4 November 1986 – 19 January 1989). The Copenhagen commitment

13689-417: Was written "to ensure that individuals are permitted to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including the right to form, join and participate effectively in non-governmental organizations, which seek the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms." The Moscow Mechanism was agreed in 1991. The fall of the Soviet Union required a change of role for

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