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126-454: Masovian Voivodeship has an area of 35,579 square kilometres (13,737 sq mi) and had a 2019 population of 5,411,446, making it Poland's largest and most populous province. Its principal cities are Warsaw (1.783 million) in the center of the Warsaw metropolitan area , Radom (212,230) to the south, Płock (119,709) to the west, Siedlce (77,990) to the east, and Ostrołęka (52,071) to

252-515: 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

378-477: 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

504-525: 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

630-720: 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;

756-399: 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:

882-424: 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

1008-476: 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

1134-555: A school building where they kept Polish POWs. In one documented incident, German tanks shelled a clearly marked Polish field hospital. On 14 September 1939, troops of the 206th Infantry Division perpetrated a massacre of 30 Polish POWs and 23 civilians in Olszewo , in revenge for the losses suffered in the battle against the Suwalska Cavalry Brigade . Most of those atrocities are classified as war crimes of

1260-432: 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 the city name to Wars and Sawa . There are several versions of the legend with their appearance. According to one version, Sawa

1386-610: 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 the seat of Napoleon 's Duchy of Warsaw . The 19th century and its Industrial Revolution brought a demographic boom, which made it one of

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1512-643: A tenth of them have frozen to death during the transport. Some POWs were used as forced laborers . Few dozens Polish officers were executed after having been recaptured during the failed escape attempt in 1943 from the Oflag VI-B . On 1 August 1944, the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa , AK) initiated an uprising against the Nazis in Warsaw . In accordance with the Hague Convention,

1638-680: Is headed by the province's voivode ( governor ) who is appointed by the Polish Prime Minister . The voivode is then assisted in performing his duties by the voivodeship's marshal , who is the appointed speaker for the voivodeship's executive and is elected by the sejmik ( provincial assembly ). The current voivode of Masovia is Konstanty Radziwiłł . The Sejmik of Masovia consists of 51 members. Protected areass include one National Park and nine Landscape parks . These are shown below. Masovia Voivodeship, 1526–1795 ( Polish : Województwo Mazowieckie )

1764-588: 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

1890-804: 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

2016-483: 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

2142-600: The Einsatzgruppen operating in Poland received an instruction to immediately court-martial and execute all alleged Polish partisans ( Freischärler ). In fact, this instruction led to mass executions of members belonging to Polish paramilitary formations and ad-hoc citizens watches ( Straże Obywatelskie ). These individuals were routinely labeled as "partisans" and summarily executed, even though they openly carried weapons and wore identifying marks or armbands as required by

2268-532: 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

2394-572: 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 the country's seat of government. It is also the capital of the Masovian Voivodeship . Warsaw traces its origins to

2520-712: The Ciepielów massacre of 8 September 1939 (~300 victims) and the Zambrów massacre of 13–14 September (~200 victims). Most of those atrocities are classified as war crimes of the Wehrmacht . Jewish soldiers with the Polish Army were also more likely than others to be victims of various atrocities. A number of other atrocities against Polish POWs occurred later in the war, particularly on the Eastern Front , with

2646-577: The Defence of the Polish Post Office in Danzig . Polish historian Tomasz Sudoł notes that several dozen of larger incidents can be documented, and that the number of smaller incidents – such as executions of individual soldiers – is "significant", but hard to estimate. With regards to the larger incidents, he mentions, chronologically, the massacres at: There were also incidents such as

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2772-575: The Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro  [ de ] issued a communique acknowledging the combatant status of Home Army members. However, despite these declarations, the German forces continued to execute captured insurgents, including the wounded, until the final days of the uprising. On 2 September 1944, following the capture of Warsaw's Old Town , German forces and their collaborators massacred at least 1,000 Polish POWs. Among

2898-834: 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

3024-647: 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

3150-641: 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 the European Union. The city's primary educational and cultural institutions comprise the University of Warsaw ,

3276-706: The General Government before the end of May 1940. When Operation Reinhard commenced, they shared the same fate as other Jews. Between December 1940 and February 1941, a minimum of 2,120 Jewish POWs, who had previously lived in Polish territories that were annexed by the Soviet Union , were permanently imprisoned at the Lipowa Street camp. The majority of them were murdered during the operation Harvest Festival in November 1943. The fate of

3402-625: 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

3528-563: The German General Staff , prior to the invasion, authorized the SS to carry out security tasks on behalf of the army that included the imprisonment or execution of Polish citizens, whether Jewish or gentile. Further, German officers often treated Polish soldiers of disorganized units captured behind German lines as partisans , not as regular soldiers , and felt justified in ordering their summary executions . On 4 September 1939,

3654-678: The Hague Convention . Numerous examples exist in which Polish soldiers were killed after capture; on the first day of invasion (1 September 1939), Polish Prisoners of war (POWs) were murdered by the Wehrmacht at: Pilchowice , Czuchów , Gierałtowice, Bojków, Lubliniec , Kochcice, Zawiść, Ornontowice and Wyry . Timothy Snyder , an American historian wrote that over 3,000 POWs were killed in at least 63 separate shooting actions in which they were often forced to take their uniforms off. German historian Jochen Böhler also provided

3780-534: The Jewish Combat Organization . German atrocities committed against Polish prisoners of war During the German invasion of Poland , which started World War II , Nazi Germany carried out a number of atrocities involving Polish prisoners of war (POWs). During that period, the Wehrmacht is estimated to have mass-murdered at least 3,000 Polish POWs, with the largest atrocities being

3906-461: The Katowice massacre on 4 September, where among the 80 or so victims of local militia, it is estimated that there were some Polish soldiers who failed to evacuate with the larger formations. In addition to massacres of POWs, there have been instances of refusal to provide medical aid to wounded soldiers, torture and other abuse of prisoners and repression against families and other relatives of

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4032-531: The Masovia Governorate . Three major international road routes pass through the voivodeship: Cork–Berlin–Poznań–Warszawa–Minsk–Moscow–Omsk ( European route E30 ), Prague–Wrocław–Warsaw–Białystok–Helsinki ( E67 ) and Pskov–Gdańsk–Warsaw–Kraków–Budapest ( E77 ). Currently, there are various stretches of highways in the area, with the A2 highway connecting the region, and therefore the capital city, with

4158-692: The Modlin Fortress and Warsaw Citadel . The sole spa town of the voivodeship is Konstancin-Jeziorna . There are museums dedicated to composer Fryderyk Chopin and chemist Marie Curie at their birthplaces in Żelazowa Wola and Warsaw , respectively. There is also a Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw. There is a museum dedicated to famous Renaissance poet Jan Kochanowski in Czarnolas . The Krasiński Palace in Opinogóra Górna hosts

4284-641: The Polish People's Army captured in 1944–45 were also killed." In February 1945, during the breakthrough of the Pomeranian Wall , approximately 150–200 POWs were executed by the Germans in Podgaje , an event known as the Podgaje massacre of 2 February 1945. Some Polish POWs were executed after being captured trying to escape from German internment camps, including 37 officers captured during

4410-491: 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 the banks of the Vistula river. One hypothesis states that Warszawa means "belonging to Warsz", Warsz being

4536-689: The Płock Castle and the Catholic Cathedral , seat of one of the oldest Polish dioceses, est. in 1075, which contains the sarcophagi of a number of Polish monarchs , is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland . Later, Płock, Warsaw and Czersk were medieval ducal seats of the Piast dynasty . In 1505, Radom hosted the session of the Sejm (Polish Parliament), which enacted the Nihil novi act, and in

4662-611: 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,

4788-616: 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

4914-592: 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, the city is home to Legia Warsaw football club and hosts the annual Warsaw Marathon . Warsaw's name in

5040-902: The Temple of Mercy and Charity in Płock, the worldwide headquarters of the Mariavite Church , the Abbey Church in Czerwińsk nad Wisłą , one of the best preserved Romanesque fortified churches in Poland, and the Saints Roch and John the Baptist church in Brochów , a Gothic-Renaissance fortified church, place of baptism of Fryderyk Chopin . Otwock , Józefów and Warsaw are home to the local Świdermajer architectural style. There are also

5166-483: The Via Baltica which heads on to Lithuania, and to Wrocław in the south-west, and the S17 being built to connect Warsaw with Lublin in the south-east and on to Ukraine. The two main railway carriers operating in the region are the regional Koleje Mazowieckie and nationwide PKP Intercity . Three of ten busiest railway stations of Poland are located in the voivodeship: Warszawa Centralna , Warszawa Wschodnia , Warszawa Zachodnia . The main international airport in

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5292-425: 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

5418-484: 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

5544-440: 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 a variety of European architectural styles, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980. Other landmarks include

5670-409: 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

5796-453: 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

5922-463: 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

6048-411: The 16th century, Warsaw hosted several sessions of the Sejm, before King Sigismund III Vasa moved the Polish capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596. Following the late-18th-century Partitions of Poland , the region witnessed several uprisings against foreign rule: the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794, the November Uprising of 1830–1831, and the January Uprising of 1863–1864. In the interbellum ,

6174-448: 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

6300-428: 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

6426-480: The European average. The top tourist destination of the voivodeship is the capital city of Warsaw with its Old Town and Royal Castle , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Historic Monument of Poland . Further Historic Monuments in Warsaw include the Royal Route with several palaces and parks, most notably the Łazienki Palace and Wilanów Palace , and the Warsaw Water Filters . Other historic cities include Radom with its old center and parks, Pułtusk with

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6552-532: The German military authorities established "inner ghettos" where Jewish POWs, were segregated from non-Jewish soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces . The treatment of Jewish POWs was harsher, and they were often assigned the most strenuous and degrading labor tasks. The Germans had plans to establish "inner ghettos" in Oflags as well, but in many cases they encountered opposition from Polish officers. Ultimately, for reasons unknown, "inner ghettos" for Jewish officers were only created in certain Oflags. In December 1939

6678-470: The German military authorities initiated the process of releasing the Jewish privates and NCOs from Stalags. In most cases, these soldiers were transferred to the labor camp at Lipowa Street in Lublin , which at that time also served as a transit camp for Jewish POWs. Due to the harsh conditions during transportation, many of them perished from freezing temperatures or died of starvation in the freight cars. The fate of approximately 500 Jewish POWs, who before

6804-426: The German side agreed to respect the combatant status of AK soldiers. Consequently, after the capitulation of the Polish forces in Warsaw , approximately 15,000 insurgents, including around 900 officers, were taken captive and sent to POW camps in Germany. Polish prisoners of war were also executed later in the war. Piotrowski writes that "some Polish officers captured in 1944 in Hungary and several hundred POWs from

6930-606: 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

7056-499: The Jewish officers was different. They remained in Oflags and majority of them survived the war. Polish POWs were held in German camps ( Oflags for officers and Stalags for soldiers of lower ranks). Conditions of Polish POWs have been described as "much worse" than those of Western Allies. Some prisoners died due to malnutrition and environmental conditions; for example in January 1940 a group of 2,000 sick POWs were decreed to be released and transported from Germany to Poland; however,

7182-414: The Museum of Romanticism . There are numerous World War II memorials, including memorials at the sites of Nazi massacres of Poles, including Palmiry , and Holocaust memorials, and museums at the sites of the former Nazi German Treblinka extermination camp , Pawiak Prison in Warsaw and Dulag 121 camp in Pruszków . Football , handball , volleyball and basketball enjoy the largest following in

7308-602: 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

7434-452: 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

7560-447: The Wehrmacht , as they occurred during the period of military occupation of Poland (untll 25 September). As a prelude to The Holocaust , Polish POWs of Jewish origin were routinely selected and shot on the spot. In transit camps for the Polish prisoners of war ( German transit camps for prisoners of war  [ de ] , Durchgangslagers or Dulags) as well as in Stalags where privates and non-commissioned officers were held,

7686-413: 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,

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7812-435: 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

7938-428: The battles in other districts of Warsaw, including Wola , Ochota , Mokotów , Powiśle , Solec . In the case of the latter, after the district was ultimately captured by German forces on 23 September 1944, some victims, including five nurses and military chaplain Fr Józef Stanek , were hanged by SS members. On 27 September 1944, following the fall of Mokotów, approximately 140 AK soldiers who had become disoriented in

8064-440: 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

8190-413: 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 the region, with the Warsaw Stock Exchange being the largest in Central and Eastern Europe . It is the base for Frontex ,

8316-415: 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

8442-400: 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

8568-438: 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,

8694-401: 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

8820-405: 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

8946-438: 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

9072-552: 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

9198-705: 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

9324-695: 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

9450-546: 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

9576-556: 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

9702-441: 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

9828-506: 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

9954-523: 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

10080-778: The escape from German prisoner-of-war camp Oflag VI-B in Dössel in 1943, and six Polish airman among the few dozen of Allied victims of the Great Escape in 1944 from the camp Stalag Luft III in Żagań (the Stalag Luft III murders ). During the Battle of Bautzen in April 1945, Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS units committed numerous war crimes against POWs and wounded soldiers from the Polish Second Army . One of

10206-423: The evidence of atrocities is lacking or poorly documented. Much of the pioneering research on this topic was done in the mid-20th century by Polish historian Szymon Datner . More recent research into this has been carried out by German historian Jochen Böhler . Tomasz Sudoł, writing in 2011, noted that the topic of German atrocities committed against Polish prisoners of war is still an understudied field with

10332-444: 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

10458-602: 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

10584-471: 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

10710-643: The insurgents openly carried weapons and wore identifying white and red Home Army armbands. On 30 August 1944, the governments of the United States and United Kingdom officially recognized the Home Army as an integral part of the Polish Armed Forces in the West . They also issued a warning that any reprisals against its soldiers would be punished after the war. Additionally, on 3 September 1944,

10836-837: 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

10962-481: 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 the Ghetto Uprising in 1943, the general Warsaw Uprising in 1944, and systematic razing . Warsaw is served by three international airports,

11088-473: The largest atrocities in 1945 committed at Podgaje (~200 victims) and Horka (~300 victims). Before the war began, the Wehrmacht high command issued many radical and racist communiqués to its soldiers. In them, it warned soldiers against the alleged "fanatic" hatred of Poles towards the Germans and warned them to expect guerrilla warfare, sabotage and diversion, likely to be organized by Polish soldiers dressed in civilian clothes. This mentality likely increased

11214-602: The longest paved marketplace of Europe, and Płock , former medieval capital of Poland, with its Old Town and Wzgórze Tumskie ("Cathedral Hill") with the Płock Castle and the Płock Cathedral , which contains the sarcophagi of a number of Polish monarchs. There are several medieval castles, including at Ciechanów , Czersk , Liw , Płock, and numerous palaces in the voivodeship, including at Otwock Wielki , Guzów , Radziejowice , Krubki-Górki , Sanniki , Korczew and multiple in Warsaw itself. Unique historic churches include

11340-591: The many historical monuments and its over 20% forested area of pine and oak . The province's Kampinos National Park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve . In the Early Middle Ages , the territory was inhabited by the Masovians , an old Polish tribe . It formed part of Poland since its establishment in the 10th century, with the then-regional capital Płock being the capital of Poland from 1079 to 1138. The Wzgórze Tumskie ("Cathedral Hill") in Płock with

11466-511: 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

11592-713: 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

11718-529: The most notorious crimes occurred on 26 April 1945, near the village of Horka , close to Crostwitz . In that location, Wehrmacht soldiers massacred the hospital column of the Polish 15th Sanitary Battalion, resulting in the deaths of around 300 POWs, including wounded soldiers and members of the medical personnel (the Horka massacre  [ pl ] ). German atrocities committed against Polish prisoners of war have been poorly documented until recently. Much of

11844-432: 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

11970-479: The north. It borders six other provinces: Warmian-Masurian to the north, Podlaskie to the northeast, Lublin to the southeast, Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) to the south, Łódź to the southwest, and Kuyavian-Pomeranian to the northwest. The name of the province recalls the region's traditional name, Mazovia (in Polish Mazowsze , also spelled Masovia), with which it is roughly coterminous. However,

12096-480: 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

12222-416: The number of atrocities committed by the Germans on both Polish prisoners of war and civilians. According to Geoffrey P. Megargee , such war crimes were the result of contempt for Poles and Polish soldiers, encouraged by Nazi propaganda , which described them as German-hating Untermenschen ; and lack of preparation, resources, and will to secure surrendered Polish soldiers. In addition, plans formulated by

12348-586: 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

12474-489: 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

12600-667: 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

12726-427: The province's southern part, including Radom, historically belonged to Lesser Poland ; while Łomża with environs, though historically part of Mazovia, is now part of Podlaskie Voivodeship . Masovian Voivodeship is Poland's prime center of science , research, education, industry, and infrastructure . It has Poland's lowest unemployment rate and is a very high-income province. It is also popular with tourists due to

12852-482: 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

12978-462: The region is Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport . Masovian Voivodeship is the wealthiest province in Poland. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was PLN 596 billion in 2021, accounting for 22.8% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was around PLN123,000in the same year. The unemployment rate stood at 4.8% in 2017 and was higher than the national and

13104-511: The region was part of reborn independent Poland. In 1920, the region was invaded by Soviet Russia , but Poland secured its freedom in the victorious Battle of Warsaw . The southern part of the current province was rapidly industrialized as part of the Central Industrial Region of Poland. During World War II , it was occupied by Germany , with the occupiers committing their genocidal policies against Poles and Jews in

13230-520: The region, with expulsions , massacres of civilians and prisoners of war , including at Ciepielów , Śladów , Zakroczym , Ostrów Mazowiecka , Palmiry , Firlej , Ochota , and Wola . Germany operated numerous prisons, forced labour camps, the Treblinka extermination camp , in which some 700,000–900,000 people were murdered, and several prisoner-of-war camps for Polish, Italian , French , Soviet, and Romanian prisoners of war. Masovian Province

13356-429: 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

13482-506: The rest of Europe. The highway passes directly through the voivodeship from west to east, connecting it with Belarus and Germany. However, the A2 is yet to be built east of Warsaw to connect Poland with Belarus. The S7 expressway runs through Poland from the north to the south passing through Warsaw, the S8 connects Warsaw with Białystok , in the neighboring north-eastern province, also forming part of

13608-671: 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)

13734-529: The same estimate, writing that the Wehrmacht mass murdered at least 3,000 Polish POWs during the campaign. Polish-American historian Tadeusz Piotrowski estimated the victims to be 1,000 POWs executed by the German army in September 1939, several hundred more executed by Gestapo , and about 1,200 members of the National Defense , as well as other volunteers like the post office workers involved in

13860-470: The sewers and mistakenly surfaced near the German barracks were executed by members of the Ordnungspolizei at Dworkowa Street. Captured insurgents were routinely executed by German forces until the end of September 1944. However, when the negotiations on the capitulation of Warsaw started, a different approach was adopted. According to the capitulation treaty, which was signed on October 3, 1944,

13986-466: 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

14112-415: 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

14238-472: The soldiers. The prisoners in the temporary POW camp in Żyrardów , captured after the Battle of the Bzura , were denied any food and starved for ten days. In some cases Polish POWs were burned alive. Units of the Polish 7th Infantry Division were massacred after being captured in several individual acts of revenge for their resistance in combat. On 11 September, Wehrmacht soldiers threw hand grenades into

14364-533: 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

14490-433: The victims were predominantly severely wounded soldiers who had been left behind after the evacuation of Home Army forces through the city's sewers to Śródmieście . The methods of execution included shooting and burning individuals alive. In some instances, Polish nurses who had stayed with the wounded soldiers were raped and subsequently executed. Executions of POWs and massacres in military hospitals also took place during

14616-704: The voivodeship. Successful clubs include Legia Warsaw and Polonia Warsaw in football and basketball, and Wisła Płock in handball. Since the establishment of the province, several major international sports competitions were co-hosted by the province, including the 2002 World Weightlifting Championships , 2003 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships , 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships , EuroBasket 2009 , UEFA Euro 2012 , 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship , 2017 Men's European Volleyball Championship , 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship , 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships , 2023 World Men's Handball Championship . Deepspot ,

14742-622: The war had resided in Polish territories now annexed by Nazi Germany , was particularly tragic. In February 1940, as the Judenrat in Lublin refused to accommodate them, the Germans forced the POWs to undertake a march on foot, enduring freezing temperatures, to the city of Biała Podlaska , located 130 kilometers away. During this " death march ", several hundred POWs were murdered. The remaining POWs were transferred from Lipowa Street camp to ghettos in

14868-491: The wartime documentation written by the Polish Red Cross was lost during the war, and the prisoner-of-war massacres from 1939 were often overshadowed by the subsequent crimes committed on civilian population. Even after the war ended, as late as mid-1970s, some German courts dismissed accusations that German troops committed war crimes, claimed that the executed individuals were not wearing military uniforms, or that

14994-596: The world's second deepest swimming pool, is located in Mszczonów . 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 a greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw

15120-616: 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:

15246-403: 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

15372-489: 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

15498-579: Was an administrative region of the Kingdom of Poland , and of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , from the 15th century until the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795). Together with Płock and Rawa Voivodeships , it formed the province ( prowincja ) of Masovia . Masovian Voivodeship was one of the voivodeships of Congress Poland . It was formed from the Warsaw Department and transformed into

15624-587: Was created on 1 January 1999, under the Polish local-government reforms adopted in 1998, out of the former provinces of Warsaw , Płock , Ciechanów , Ostrołęka , Siedlce , and Radom . Masovian Voivodeship is divided into 42 counties , including five city counties and 37 land counties. These are subdivided into 314 gminas (municipalities), which include 85 urban gminas. The voivodeship contains 10 cities and 78 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019): Towns: The Masovian voivodeship's government

15750-407: 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

15876-654: 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

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