LET'S EXPLORE POLAND

Copyright 1996 by the AngloPol Corporation

This series will take us through the cities, towns, villages and countryside of Poland, 
as well as give us insights into the rich history and culture of the nation.

Part 11

THE WONDERS OF KRAKOW

For 500 years the capital of Poland, full of memories and remembrances, Krakow can be considered the spiritual capital of the Polish people. It is the home of the Sukiennice [Cloth Market], one of the biggest and most beautiful squares in Europe; over 140 churches and monasteries; 75 villas, aristocratic buildings, including Wawel Royal Castle; more than 600 monuments; eleven universities and academies; the Jagiellonska library with 3 million volummes; famous theaters; nearly 100 art galleries and 50 museums.

Those are the numbers, if it is possible to express in numbers a town which has been classified by UNESCO as one of the basic monuments of the cultural world heritage.

Krakow goes back to the early Middle Ages. Two prehistoric mounds connected with the legendary rulers, Krakus and his daughter Wanda, confirm the ancient origins of the city. By the end of the 10th century Krakow was incorporated into the Polish state which was ruled by the Piast dynasty. In 1000 A.D. an episcopal see was created there, and soon the city became the seat of Poland's rulers, where it would remain for many centuries. The coronation regalia were kept there, and a famous cathedral school was founded by the early Middle Ages. The court of the Prince and Bishop, situated on Wawel Hill, encouraged intellectual activities.

From the 14th century forward, Krakow became the place for coronation ceremonies and the royal burial place. In that period the old Romanesque cathedral was replaced by a magnificent Gothic church, which has survived as a grand monument of Polish history and culture. In the reign of King Casimir the Great, who was a generous patron of art and scholarship, the Jagiellonian University was founded, originally known as the Krakow Academy.

With the death of Casimir the Great (1370) the Piast dynasty died out, and the Polish crown passed into the hands of the Hungarian Angevin dynasty. In 1385 the historic union of Poland and Lithuania was formed at Krewo. The young Queen Jadwiga was given in marriage to the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ladislaus Jagiello, who took the Polish throne with his bride. Thus, Krakow became the capital of the vast Jagiellonian monarchy, which was comprised not only of the Polish lands, but also the vast territories of Lithuania and Ruthenia. In the 15th century the city was famous for its Jagiellonian University, which boasted Nicolaus Copernicus among its students.

In the 15th century the Polish capital abounded with workshops of various kind, and Krakow craftsmen took pride in their works, many of which have survived in the local churches. In the late 15th century the greatest medieval sculptor, Master Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss), who arrived from Nuremberg, was active there for a long time.

Krakow flourished as never before during the Renaissance period. On orders of King Sigismund I, the Old the Gothic castle on the Wawel Hill was rebuilt as a Renaissance palatial residence, the work of the Italian artists Francesco of Florence and Bartolomeo Berrecci. The latter was commissioned by the King to build the Sigismund Chapel in the Cathedral, which served as a burial chapel, the most magnificent monument of the Polish Renaissance. The son of Sigismund the Old, King Sigismund Augustus, ordered a collection of tapestries from the best makers at Brussels, now considered "jewels" in the collections of the Royal Castle at Wawel.

Upon the death of Sigismund Augustus in 1572, the Jagiellon dynasty died out and Poland entered the period of elective monarchy. Krakow remained the nominal capital, but political life began to focus on Warsaw, which became the permanent royal seat in the early 17th century and gradually took over the functions of the capital.

The 17th century opened an entirely new chapter in Krakow's artistic history. The Baroque style was to dominate until the mid-18th century. The patron of Baroque was King Sigismund III Vasa. His patronage was enjoyed by the painter Tomasso Dolabella and, particularly, by the architect Giovanni Battista Trevano, who supervised the rebuilding of Wawel Castle in the Baroque style and designed the Jesuit Church of SS. Peter and Paul.

The city was twice destroyed by the Swedes--in 1655-1657 and again in 1702. In the late 17th century the professors of the Krakow Alma Mater sponsored the construction of St. Anne's Church, the University collegiate church.

In the first half of the 18th century a number of outstanding works of art were created in Krakow, designed by such eminent architects as Kacper Bazanka and Francesco Placidi. Baroque culture affected Krakow considerably. Gothic churches were rebuilt in the Baroque manner and furnished with altars, sculptures and paintings in the new style. Burghers' houses were also refurbished in that style.

The school system in Krakow, including the Academy, was reformed in the late 18th century. The city was also the scene of important historical events. In 1794 the Polish nation, under the leadership of Thaddeus [Tadeusz] Kosciuszko, rose up to defend the integrity and independence of the Polish State. The insurrection, however, failed. In 1795 Russia, Austria and Prussia participated in the final partition of the Polish lands, and Krakow fell to Austria.

For a period of over a hundred years, when Poland was deprived of independence, it was culture that integrated the Polish nation. In spite of political subjugation, Krakow experienced an unprecedented period of artistic and intellectual growth in the 19th century and became the spiritual capital of Poland. Many people came to Krakow to learn national history and to absorb the unique patriotic atmosphere of the city. Works of art were treated as historical monuments which embodied national identity.

In the second half of the 19th century university professors and intellectuals were the leaders of the urban community. In 1876 the Princes Czartoryski donated their impressive art collection, which included national memorabilia, to Krakow. In 1879 the National Museum was founded and Krakow became an important museum center. Arts flourished vigorously; the city theater enjoyed a period of growth; Jan Matejko, the author of great historical paintings, produced his works there. At the turn of the 20th century Krakow was dominated by the "Ball Boheme," which was connected with the "Young Poland" movement in literature and art. On the eve of World War I it became the Polish equivalent of Piedmont, as Polish independence movements originated there. It was from Krakow that the Legionaries under the command of Jozef Pilsudski marched out to fight for the liberation of their country.

In spite of its geographic position on the periphery of the Polish State, Krakow retained its role as a center of arts and science after Poland regained independence in 1918. It owed its leading position in academic life to the Jagiellonian University and the Polish Academy of Letters and Sciences.

The stability and dignified greatness of the city were dramatically destroyed by the German invasion of Poland in 1939. The Nazis began the ruthless action which aimed at the extermination of Poles. Considering its value to national life, it is not surprising that the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau was situated within a short distance from Krakow.

The city was liberated in January 1945. A period of reconstruction began in Poland, but Krakow had managed to escape serious war damage. However, the new socialist government then took hold of the city. The construction of the large steelworks east of Krakow in Nowa Huta caused considerable ecological devastation. Nevertheless, Krakow has remained a great cultural center and become a seat of many artistic festivals. The most eminent of modern Polish composers, Krzysztof Penderecki, works there. It is a city of museums and theaters, of the University and other colleges.

Modern Krakow attracts numerous tourists from all over the world who are eager to see the ancient capital of Poland and its magnificent art treasures.