Kraków

History

How the city came to be

Krakow stands on the Vistula River, and the settlement on Wawel Hill had already become a regional center by the early Middle Ages. In 1038 Krakow became the seat of the Piast dynasty rulers, and in 1257 it received a city charter and the Old Town was rebuilt on a grid plan. In the 14th century, under King Casimir III, the city reached its peak, and in 1364 the Jagiellonian University was founded, one of the oldest universities in Central Europe. From 1320, Polish kings were crowned in Wawel Cathedral, and Krakow remained the capital for a long time, until Sigismund III moved the court to Warsaw in 1596. After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, the city came under Austria, and in the 19th century it became a center of the Polish cultural revival; during the Second World War the Old Town was largely undamaged, making it one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Poland. In 1978, Krakow's Old Town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, among the first 12 sites inscribed.

1. Early Middle AgesA regional settlement forms around Wawel Hill.
2. 1038Krakow becomes the seat of the Piast dynasty rulers.
3. 1257The city receives its charter, and the Old Town is rebuilt to a grid plan.
4. 1320Władysław I is crowned in Wawel Cathedral, and Krakow becomes the coronation capital.
5. 1364Casimir III founds the Jagiellonian University.
6. 1596Sigismund III moves the court to Warsaw, and Krakow loses its capital status.
7. 1795After the Third Partition of Poland, Krakow comes under Austria.
8. 1918Poland regains independence, and Krakow returns to Poland.
9. 1978Krakow's Old Town is inscribed on the World Heritage List in the first batch.

Stories

Stories of the city