City History – From Legends to Modern Times

Traces of settlement on Wawel Hill date back to the Stone Age. During the times of the Vistulans tribe, the first fortified strongholds were built, surrounded by legends of Krakus, the city’s founder, and his daughter Wanda. Around 965, the merchant and traveler Ibrahim ibn Yaqub described Kraków as a meeting place for merchants traveling between the Baltic and southern Europe. In the second half of the 10th century, the stronghold was incorporated into the Piast state. Historians still debate whether this occurred under Mieszko I or only during the reign of his son, Bolesław the Brave. What is certain is that in the year 1000 a bishopric was established here, and Wawel began to transform into a key center of both ecclesiastical and secular power.

According to the testament of Bolesław the Wrymouth in 1138, Kraków became the senioral capital, meant to safeguard the unity of a divided Poland. Despite devastation during the Tatar invasion of 1241, the city quickly recovered. A turning point came in 1257, when Prince Bolesław the Chaste granted Kraków city rights based on the Magdeburg law. At that time, the urban plan with the largest market square in Europe and a regular street grid was created — a layout preserved to this day. From the 14th century onward, Kraków became Poland’s political and spiritual center. In 1320, Władysław the Elbow-high was crowned in Wawel Cathedral, beginning the tradition of crowning Polish kings in this very place. As one historian wrote, “Kraków was not only a city but a symbol of Polish unity and culture in turbulent times.”

During the reign of Casimir the Great in the 14th century, the city experienced immense growth. The king built numerous fortifications and Gothic churches and reconstructed the castle on Wawel Hill. He also founded the town of Kazimierz in 1335 and Kleparz in 1366, and in 1364 established the Kraków Academy, one of the oldest centers of learning in Central Europe. Economic growth was fueled by trade in salt and metals. The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) became the main hub of exchange, while membership in the Hanseatic League gave Kraków a privileged position in Europe. Artists and craftsmen from abroad flocked to the city, producing iconic works such as the Gothic altar by Veit Stoss in St. Mary’s Basilica and the Renaissance Sigismund Chapel on Wawel, designed by Bartolomeo Berrecci.

Kraków was also a culturally diverse city. As early as the 15th century, the Jewish community held a strong position here. After being moved to Kazimierz by King John I Albert in 1495, the community flourished, turning the district into a renowned center of Talmudic scholarship. The eminent scholar Moses Isserles, known as Remuh, wrote his commentaries here, and his grave continues to attract pilgrims from around the world. In the 16th century, Kraków had a truly cosmopolitan character — Poles, Germans, Italians, and Jews lived side by side, making the city a vibrant meeting ground of different traditions and cultures.

At the end of the 16th century, the royal court moved to Warsaw, weakening Kraków’s status. The following centuries brought epidemics, fires, and wars. During the Swedish Deluge in the 17th century, the city was severely devastated, though later reconstruction endowed it with splendid Baroque churches, such as St. Anne’s, designed by Tylman van Gameren. In the 18th century, during the partitions, Kraków came under Austrian rule. It was here, in 1794, that Tadeusz Kościuszko began his uprising, taking an oath on the Main Market Square. In the 19th century, despite political hardships, the city once again played a vital role as a hub of science, art, and patriotic initiatives, establishing Planty Park, the Academy of Learning, and the Academy of Fine Arts.

During World War I, Kraków became one of the starting points of Poland’s rebirth, as Józef Piłsudski’s First Cadre Company set out from the city. In the interwar period, industry and cultural life flourished. World War II was a tragedy for Kraków. Although most of its monuments survived intact, the German occupation led to the annihilation of the Jewish community and harsh repression of Kraków’s elites. In 1939, professors of the Jagiellonian University were targeted, and the Jewish population was confined to a ghetto and later deported to extermination camps.

After the war, communist authorities initiated the construction of Nowa Huta, an industrial district intended to transform Kraków’s character. Nevertheless, the city preserved its academic and cultural identity. Today, Kraków has nearly 800,000 inhabitants and is one of the most visited places in Central Europe, combining medieval heritage with modern dynamism.