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| Kraków |
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Kraków - first organized settlement in the area of the city existed in Stone Age 50000 years B.C. and in the early Middle Ages Cracow was the centre of Wislanie country (several legends including the one about Wawel dragon is connected with this period) which accept suzerainty of the first lord of Poland, Mieszko I.
From the beginning, Cracow played an important part as a centre of secular authority and Christianity.
Its good defensive location against invasions increased its importance to the rank of capital in 1038.
The Royal Castle in Wawel and Benedictine Monastery in Tyniec were built then.
Cracow experienced its prime during Kazimierz the Great's reign and Jagiellonian times.
Marvelous gothic architecture came into being (churches, Market - place, Wawel's enlargement, curtains with turrets and gates), Cracovian Academy was founded as well as several surrounding small towns: Kazimierz, Kleparz, Stradom.
This period ended in 1608 when Cracow lost its capital status and subsequent wars and famine, which led to Poland's partition, ruined Malopolska region.
During the disintegration, there was an active, patriotic and autonomic centre in Cracow, which caused several conflicts with the occupants (Kosciuszko Insurrection in 1792, Cracow Uprising in 1846).
Cracow was one of the first places where Poland reborn in 1918 led by marshal J. Pilsudzki.
During German occupation, Cracow witnessed such tragic events as the arresting of professors of the Jagiellonian University and University Of Science And Technology in Cracow and genocide of Jewish and Polish community.
Rapid improvement of Cracow and its development particularly in industry (Nowa Huta) has started after 1945.
Today, Cracow is a resilient cultural, educational and industrial centre.
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