Warsaw
General informations about Warsaw
Warsaw - the capital of Poland. Formerly called the city - Phoenix, rebuilt after the war damages, today is the biggest Polish city, the seat of central authorities, an important transport junction station, a big economic centre, the seat of numerous Polish and international companies. The city of fast economic development, changing its countenance day by day. The city of modern architecture, simultaneously admired and criticised. Although the panorama of the city is dominated by sky-scrapers, the symbol of the capital city is the rebuilt Royal Castle which, along with the Old City, the Royal Track and castle and park residences in the Lazienki and Wilanów constitutes the aim of domestic and foreign excursions.
History
Counting, along with the urban agglomeration approximately 2 million inhabitants, Warsaw prides itself on distant history. As early as in the 10th - 11th centuries a fortified city existed in the north-eastern district of the present city. Another city arose in 13th century in the place of the present Ujazdów castle on the Vistula River's slope. The settlement in the place of the present Old City at the turn of the 13th and 14th century and in 1408 the so-called New Warsaw was established, the present New City. In 1413 Warsaw was promoted as the capital of Mazovia on moving the Prince seat from deteriorating Czersk. After the childless deaths of the last Mazovian Prices - Stanislaw and Janusz of Mazovia it was incorporated into Poland in 1526. The city's convenient transport connection gave rise to the fact that Warsaw became the place of General Parliaments and regional Councils sessions. In 1573 the first free election of the Polish king took place here. In 1596 Warsaw became the capital of the whole country which was moved from provincially situated Cracow. The court's moving lasted till 1611. The Swedish invasion in 1655 stopped the city's development whose next period of prosperity fell to the 18th century. In 1747 the library was established here and in 1765 the fixed theatre. Between years 1766 - 95 the palace in Lazienki was being built. This period is marked by the growth of the Royal Track importance of joining the Old Town, the castle with the residences in Lazienki and Wilanów. The representative sequence of the Track streets was completed by the magnificent magnate palace and tenements belonging to wealthy burgers. As early as after the first partition (1772) in the period of the Polish country existence impendence the Parliament called the four years' one was deliberating in Warsaw and passed the famous Constitution of May 3rd, 1791. Today this day is celebrated as the national holiday in Poland. Between years 1795 - 1806 the city was occupied by Prussia and between years 1807 - 15 Warsaw was the capital of Napoleonic Warsaw Duchy. From 1815 until 1830 Warsaw was the capital of the Congress Kingdom bound with personal union with Russia. A short period of this region's autonomy ended as a result of repressions of the tsarist government after the suppression of the November Uprising in 1830 and the Citadel's building became the symbol of oppression. Another, also unsuccessful uprising, called the January Uprising between years 1863 - 64 brought consecutive repressions on the city and its inhabitants. the members of the National Government were executed on the Citadel's slopes along with the uprising's dictator - Romuald Traugutt.
Since 1918 Warsaw has been the capital of Poland which rebuilt itself after the damages and impoverishment in the period of the First World War. The city was developing ad extending its borders quite fast and systematically. The period of development was stopped by the hitlerite invasion on Poland in September 1939. The first bombardments took place on September 1st. On the city's capitulation (September 28th, 1939) a period of terror, raids, transports to extermination camps came as did the bombardments of the whole city. Jewish population was gathered in the ghetto whose area was continuously decreased. Emaciated of starvation and diseases, the Jewish people took the uprising effort between days April 19th - May 16th, 1943 which ended with the complete liquidation of this district and murdering of its inhabitants. In the capital the active resistance movement was active during the war, numerous actions of the underground resistance were famous. Suppressed by the invader, the Warsaw Uprising (August 1st - October 2nd, 1944) gave rise to the extermination of the population and actual crossing out of Warsaw from the list of European cities, which the invader was aiming at. The number of casualties was frightening, buildings were destroyed in 84 % and the Jewish district in 100 %. The most precious monuments along with the Castle and the Old Town crumbled in ruin. The fast process of reconstruction began in 1945, the city recovered its monuments, churches, palaces, housing building was developed. Warsaw called the city - phoenix decided univocally against the invader's will to: "remain the capital of Poland". Warsaw is entering today, along with many other Polish cities, the list of European leading centres, its economic functions are developing, it is a place of meetings for business and scientists from all over the world, streets are becoming increasingly beautiful, enriched by elegant shops, galleries and department stores. The city invites guests from all over the world all year long.
Economic
Warsaw has a booming economy almost free of unemployment. It offers an attractive business environment with a full range of modern business services and well-trained professionals familiar with Western standards.
It is the financial centre of this part of Europe and an important consumer market. It has become the focal point of foreign investments and a driving force in the development of the entire country's economy.
In 1989 the workforce in industry accounted for over 30 percent of the total in Warsaw, today it is about 18 percent. Embarking on a market economy has meant a severe shock for Warsaw`s industry, in terms of the loss of its previous export markets, the reorientation of production, and the large-scale exodus of its personnel to other sectors.
Warsaw`s inner-city industrial precincts amount to 37.9 percent of its total surface area within the Centrum Borough's total area - a concentration unprecedented in Western European centre-city areas. This heritage of communist town planning has in fact becoming an advantage: it offers space forconstruction projects in excellent central locations.
The number of state - owned enterprises is regularly decreasing and the number of companies with foreign capital growing. The largest foreign investors are Daewoo,Coca Cola Amatil and Metro AG.
Warsaw has the biggest concentration of electronics and high-tech industry in Poland and the growing consumer market perfectly fosters the development of the food-processing industry.
Info by e-Warsaw.pl
