Krakow
Wawel Castle
Situated on a hill overlooking a bend of the Vistula River, Wawel Castle, one of the largest in Poland, was built at the behest of King Casimir III (Casimir the Great) who was King of Poland from 1333 to 1370.
Inside the walls, the complex consists of various structures with an Italian-styled main courtyard at the centre. Almost all the European architectural styles are represented, including the medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. The Tadeusz Kościuszko monument, beside the west entrance, is one of the best known bronzes in Poland. Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko) (1746 – 1817) was a Polish military engineer and military leader who became a national hero, not only in Poland, but Lithuania, Belarus, and the USA.
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He fought in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's struggles against Russia and Prussia, and against Great Britain on the American side during the American War of Independence. An accomplished military architect, he was commissioned as a Colonel in the Continental Army and designed and oversaw the construction of a number of state-of-the-art fortifications, including those at West Point, New York. Kościuszko became a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and in 1783, in recognition of his services, the Continental Congress promoted him to brigadier general. He returned to Poland the following year.
In 1789, Kościuszko served as Major General in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Army and after the Polish–Russian War of 1792 which resulted in the Second Partition of Poland, he organised an uprising against Russia. Russian forces captured him at the Battle of Maciejowice in October 1794, a defeat that led to Poland's Third Partition in 1795, which ended the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's 123 year-long independent existence. In 1796, following the death of Tsaritsa Catherine the Great, Kościuszko was pardoned by her successor, Tsar Paul I, and he emigrated to the United States.
In 1789, Kościuszko served as Major General in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Army and after the Polish–Russian War of 1792 which resulted in the Second Partition of Poland, he organised an uprising against Russia. Russian forces captured him at the Battle of Maciejowice in October 1794, a defeat that led to Poland's Third Partition in 1795, which ended the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's 123 year-long independent existence. In 1796, following the death of Tsaritsa Catherine the Great, Kościuszko was pardoned by her successor, Tsar Paul I, and he emigrated to the United States.
This statue of Pope John Paul II (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) stands within the castle walls. Although he was born in Wadowice, a city 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Kraków, he has close ties with the latter city.
In May 1981, he famously survived an assassination attempt when he was shot by a Turkish gunman who was a member of the militant fascist group the Grey Wolves. The would-be assassin fired as the Pope entered St. Peter's Square in Vatican City to address an audience, with bullets puncturing John Paul II`s abdomen. He received emergency surgery and the gunman, who was arrested at the scene, received life imprisonment, but speculation as to the true reason behind the attack led to numerous conspiracy theories. |
Wawel Castle now houses one of country’s premier art museums. Established in 1930, the collection includes important Italian Renaissance paintings, prints, sculpture, textiles, jewellery, arms and armour, ceramics, porcelain, and period furniture. The museum also has the largest collection of Ottoman tents in Europe.
The Wawel Dragon is a mythological Polish dragon who lived in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill. One of the many popular stories about him takes place in Kraków during the reign of King Krakus, the city's mythical founder. The dragon terrifies local villagers by destroying their houses and eating their young daughters, so King Krakus, in desperation, promises his daughter Wanda's hand to any man who can defeat the beast.
A cobbler named Skuba takes up the challenge and stuffs a lamb with sulphur for the dragon to eat. Skuba leaves the lamb near its cave and the unwary beast devours the bait. Soon after, the dragon's thirst grows unbearable and he drinks so much water from the River Vistula that he explodes! King Krakus, as promised, allows the victorious Skuba to wed his daughter and they all live happy ever after. In another version of the tale, the Wawel dragon is defeated by the King`s two sons. |
This bronze statue of the famous beast was designed by Polish sculptor Bronisław Chromy and was installed in its present location in 1972. The dragon actually breathes fire, bursting into life every five minutes, however, the action can now be triggered on demand by an SMS text message! The service is so popular, particularly with children, that on one occasion it received over 2,500 requests in a single day!
The castle stands on the northern bank of the Vistula which, at 1,047 kilometres (651 miles) in length, is the longest and largest river in Poland. Rising in the Carpathian Mountains, the Vistula flows through, not only Krakow, but several other major Polish cities including the nation`s capital Warsaw, before reaching the Baltic Sea at Gdańsk. With Krakow being so far inland, however, unlike many other major European waterways, this section of the river does not see much in the way of cargo vessels, just small industrial barges and small tourist boats operating during the summer months.
This bridge, which connects Podgorze, the old Jewish Ghetto district with the Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz, opened in 2010. In addition to its supports being adorned with life-size acrobats and gymnasts, hundreds of padlocks have been fixed to the guard rails on each side, the locks secured in place by romantic couples hoping to cement their relationships for all time.
This main thoroughfare opposite the castle connects with the main square. The Katyn Wood memorial can be seen on the left in this shot.
This memorial cross commemorates the 21,768 victims of the Katyn Massacre which occurred in 1940, in the aftermath of the invasion of Poland which instigated the Second World War. Hitler`s armies invaded from the west on 1 September 1939 and, despite offering often heroic resistance, Poland`s armed forces were soon overwhelmed. Although deeply suspicious of each other, Hitler and Stalin had signed a non-aggression pact and on 17 September, the Red Army poured across Poland`s eastern borders. They advanced rapidly as the Polish military were under orders not to engage Soviet forces and the country was overrun by 6 October.
The Soviet Secret Police (NKVD) rounded up Polish officers, soldiers, police, civilian officials and other categories of person deemed to be potentially subversive. Many were transported to camps where they were interrogated at length and their willingness to adopt a pro-Soviet attitude was determined. Many of those assessed to be hardened in their political views or `enemies of the state` were murdered.
Thousands of these executions took place at Katyn, 20 kilometres west of Smolensk, during April and May of 1941. The victims were shot in a soundproofed cell, and thereafter placed in waiting trucks. Once the vehicles were full, convoys of trucks transported the bodies to the forest for burial. In June 1941, despite the non-aggression treaty, Hitler mounted Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the world`s two most powerful nations became locked in the fiercest, most protracted and bloodiest fighting of the war. In 1943, when the struggle was at its height, the mass graves were discovered in Katyn Forest by retreating German forces. The find was a massive propaganda coup for Hitler and the Nazis who were struggling to contain the apparently unlimited resources of the Red Army. On learning of the massacre, the Polish government in exile terminated diplomatic relations with Stalin`s government. The Soviet Union continued to deny responsibility until 1990, when it finally acknowledged and condemned the atrocity. |
Above Right: The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the Old Town district is only a short walk from the castle. It`s a Roman Catholic establishment, built between 1597–1619 in Polish Baroque style and is the largest church in the city in terms of seating capacity. At the front of the grounds there are plinths containing limestone sculptures of the apostles. The originals, designed by Kacper Bażanka, were completed in 1722 by Dawid Heel. Those that greet visitors today, however, are modern day copies as the first were very much damaged by prolonged exposure to the elements.
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