The city founded
Warsaw is a relatively young city in the Polish context. Although there have been settlements on the site where trade routes from north to south and east to west cross the Wisla River, it was not until the 13th century that Mazurian dukes erected a fort on the site where the city’s royal palace is today.

Like the other Polish cities of the Middle Ages, Warsaw was built at the center of a marketplace and with streets facing the gates of a fortified city wall. All these parts of the town plan from that time can be seen in the old town today.

Warsaw becomes a residence city
Until 1413, Warsaw was only a village, but when the Mazurian dukes moved their residence to the city, a long period of flourishing began. The city grew rapidly, and it grew to the north beyond the city walls.

However, Poland’s dominant city was in Warsaw’s first centuries Krakow, which was the center of the country both culturally, religiously and politically. Furthermore, when the last Mazurian duke died in 1526 without heirs to the throne, Warsaw was subject to Krakow’s control.

The political turning point and the foundation of Warsaw’s great growth occurred in the following centuries in 1569, when the Polish political administration Sejmen moved to Warsaw in connection with the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Empire.

In 1596, Warsaw finally came out of the shadow of Krakow when Sigismund III Vasa moved the royal residence from Krakow to the castle in Warsaw. Sigismund III Vasa was a Swede and with the move he got closer to his motherland.

The 17th century was dominated by a beginning weakening for the Polish-Lithuanian Empire, and the country was invaded by Sweden in 1655-1660, where Warsaw was also partially destroyed in the fighting.

Growth from the 18th century
Warsaw was rebuilt after the devastation, and it marked the beginning of a long period of growth up through the 18th century, despite the fact that it was here that Poland-Lithuania went down and Poland was split between neighboring countries.

Several mansions, palaces, churches and monasteries were built and the kingdom flourished, especially in the decades before its demise.

At the end of the long growth period, Warsaw had 120,000 inhabitants and it was Poland’s dominant city. By the Polish divisions, Warsaw came under Prussian rule and was reduced to a provincial city.

Napoleon and the 19th Century
During Napoleon’s advance towards his eastern goal Moscow, the Duchy of Warsaw was established and the city became the capital. After the Vienna Congress, Warsaw continued for a brief period as its capital until it became part of the Russian Empire – a status that lasted until World War I and the Russian Revolution in 1917.

At the end of the 19th century, Warsaw experienced a period of growth in the industrialization of the country. Among other things, the first railway was opened from Vienna across Warsaw to the residence of the tsar Skt. Petersburg. The city’s population had increased to 680,000 in 1900.

World War II Destruction
After World War I, Poland was re-established as an independent state and Warsaw became the country’s capital. Within the first 20 years, until the start of World War II, a violent development occurred in Warsaw. Industry, education, culture and science boomed, and the population rose to 1,250,000.

During World War II, Warsaw fell after less than a month of fighting. 1943 was the year of the uprising in the Jewish ghetto, which was destroyed after fierce fighting. Around the arrival of the Soviet army in late 1944, the second uprising began in the city, which, together with the Red Army troops, overcame the German military. The German withdrawal caused enormous losses, with the Germans demolishing many buildings to destroy the city.

World War II cost about 700,000 of the city’s inhabitants, up to 85% of Warsaw’s buildings were destroyed, and after the war there was a tremendous rebuilding work in front of the inhabitants and the new state politically led by the Communist Party.

Reconstruction and modern times
It was quickly decided to rebuild the city’s old town and other important historical monuments. All the citizens of the city participated, and the business is unique in history, while at the same time building a modern city with infrastructure and lots of new housing.

During the first decades after the war, the most significant parts of the impressive work were completed, and therefore visitors today still experience the charming old Warsaw.

Warsaw is today the capital of a Poland, which since the fall of communism has experienced strong growth in a European Union, with the Polish capital one of the major capitals of Eastern Europe. Modern buildings, shopping malls and other things have shot up, and Warsaw has hosted many, many great events such as the opening match of the European Football Championships in 2012.