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Warsaw is a city with a fascinating history, modern architecture, visitor-friendly infrastructure, creative inhabitants and a rich offer of cultural events – it truly is the beating heart of Poland. The history of Warsaw is a mixture of a turbulent past and the will to survive as well as the courage and activities of its people.

How old is Warsaw? Historians date the first settlement to the turn of the 10th century. However, much later events made it the most important Polish city. In 1596, after the great fire in Cracow’s Wawel Castle, King Sigismund III Vasa moved his court to Warsaw. This decision was motivated not only by the central locus of Warsaw, but also by the shorter distance to his motherland, Sweden. The Royal Court attracted many new citizens to flourishing Old Warsaw, an important cultural and political center of those times. As a result, New Warsaw (Nowa Warszawa) was founded and became the homeplace of great artists, scientists and social activists.
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In the 18th century, the partition of Poland took place and the country disappeared from the map of Europe for 123 years. That was until 1918, when Warsaw became the capital city of reborn Poland. But just 21 years later, Poland again lost its independence after the German and Soviet invasions. The city became the main center of resistance and conspiracy, witnessing two big uprisings: one in the Jewish Ghetto, the other organized by the Polish underground resistance. In revenge, Warsaw was condemned to annihilation. As a result, 650 000 people were killed and 84% of the buildings were destroyed.

After the war, Poland regained "independence" but became a communist country within the Eastern Bloc. Although the rebuilding process in Warsaw started immediately in 1945, Łódź was chosen as the temporary capital of Poland until 1948. During the difficult years of communist rule, a new hope for Poles arose when Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II) was chosen as Pope in 1978. Two years later the "Solidarity" movement was founded, being the first mass independent trade union in a communist state. This movement, led by future President of Poland Lech Wałęsa, eventually broke the Soviet control in 1989 and Warsaw became the capital of a democratic country.

The metamorphosis the city has undergone over recent centuries is truly amazing. Independence uprisings and wars have all cast a deep shadow on the capital’s history. Despite all, the city was able to rise from the ashes – a fact that has been recognized by UNESCO by including the Old Town on the World Heritage list. Today, this historical centre of Warsaw is truly captivating with its charms and discreet elegance. Located in the very heart of a modern, attractive and friendly city, it attracts millions of tourists annually!
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The 17th century was a period of great prosperity for Warsaw, interrupted by several Swedish invasions. Interestingly, several years ago archeologists found more than 20 tons of precious artefacts at the bottom of the Vistula river, apparently "lost" by the Swedish army. That small fraction of the war booty clearly shows the magnificence of Poland in the early modern period. The next golden ages of the city occured during the Saxon dynasty reign and the period of King Stanisław Augustus Poniatowski. Numerous palaces, mansions and richly-decorated tenements were erected or renovated and new parks and gardens were founded. This earned Warsaw the nickname "Paris of the East".
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