Praga

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Praga
Ulica Zabkowska przy Targowej 2020.jpg
Ulica Ząbkowska, one of Praga's main streets
Praga in Warsaw.svg
Location of Praga-Północ and Praga-Południe within Warsaw
Coordinates: 52°15′07″N21°03′03″E / 52.25198°N 21.05083°E / 52.25198; 21.05083
CountryFlag of Poland.svg  Poland
Voivodeship Masovian
County/City Warsaw
Within city limits1791
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)

Praga is a district of Warsaw, Poland. It is on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.

Contents

History

Massacre of Praga (1794) Rzez pragi.png
Massacre of Praga (1794)

The historical Praga was a small settlement located at the eastern bank of the Vistula river, directly opposite the towns of Old Warsaw and Mariensztat, both being parts of Warsaw now. First mentioned in 1432, it derived its name from the Polish verb prażyć, meaning to burn or to roast, as it occupied a forested area that was burnt out to make place for the village. [1] Separated from Warsaw by a wide river, it developed independently of the nearby city, and on 10 February 1648 king Władysław IV of Poland granted Praga with a city charter. However, as it was mostly a suburb and most buildings were wooden, the town was repeatedly destroyed by fires, floods and foreign armies. Currently the only surviving historical monument from that epoch is the Church of Our Lady of Loreto.

Although there were numerous attempts to build a permanent bridge across the river, none succeeded and Praga remained a separate entity well into the 18th century. Communication between the capital and Praga was maintained by privately run ferries and, in the winter, over the ice. Finally, in 1791, during the reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski, Praga was attached to Warsaw as a borough.

The Battle of Praga, or the Battle of Warsaw, was a Russian assault during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. It was followed by a massacre in which 12,000 inhabitants of the Praga district lost their lives.

Praga after German bombardment in September 1939 Warsaw district Praga 1939.jpg
Praga after German bombardment in September 1939

During the German occupation of Poland in World War II, in 1944, the Germans operated a subcamp of the Oflag 73 prisoner-of-war camp for officers in Praga. [2] Unlike the central parts of Warsaw, Praga remained relatively untouched during the war and in the postwar period of reconstruction, the capital was home to many ministries and public facilities.

Because of the traditional separate status of Praga, there are two Catholic dioceses in Warsaw: Archdiocese of Warsaw [3] with St. John's Cathedral and Diocese of Warsaw-Praga [4] with St. Florian's Cathedral.

The derelict district experienced a revival following the end of Communism in 1989, as young artists moved into many of the former factory buildings, drawing crowds in search of something different from the Old Town. The increasing popularity of the area helped to change it into one of Poland's and Europe's creative hubs as it has been described as one of the "trendiest neighbourhood across Europe". [5]

A lifesize group sculpture of street musicians in Praga Unusual lifesize group sculpture of street musicians in Praga district in Warsaw (8121509220).jpg
A lifesize group sculpture of street musicians in Praga

In 2011 the local Monument to Brotherhood in Arms was taken down; in 2015 this decision was made permanent. [6]

Administrative division

Currently Praga is administratively divided into:

Praga-Południe and Praga-Północ include neighborhoods of:

In the wider sense, all areas of Warsaw located on the right bank of Vistula are also known under the collective term of Praga. Besides historical Praga, they include:

Sights and landmarks

Transport

The Warszawa Wschodnia railway station, Warsaw's second largest railway station and the sixth busiest station in Poland (as of 2021), [7] is located in Praga.

Related Research Articles

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Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw the 7th most-populous city in the European Union. The city area measures 517 km2 (200 sq mi) and comprises 18 districts, while the metropolitan area covers 6,100 km2 (2,355 sq mi). Warsaw is classified as an alpha global city, a major cultural, political and economic hub, and the country's seat of government. It is also capital of the Masovian Voivodeship.

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Praga-Południe, also known by its anglicized names Praga-South, Praga South, and South Praga, is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland located on the east bank of the Vistula River. It consists of Grochów, Gocław, Kamionek and Saska Kępa.

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Praga-North, also known as North Praga, Praga North, is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamionek, Warsaw</span>

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Mariensztat is a historic neighbourhood along the Vistula river in central Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Situated between the riverbank and the UNESCO-protected Old Town, Mariensztat is part of the larger Śródmieście (Downtown) borough and is one of the city's smallest neighbourhoods.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ząbkowska Street, Warsaw</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romuald Kamiński</span> Polish Roman Catholic priest (born 1955)

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Kazimierz Romaniuk is a Polish Catholic prelate, and professor of biblical studies. In 2004, Romaniuk became the bishop emeritus of the diocese of Warszawa-Praga. He was previously the rector of the Higher Metropolitan Seminary and the Academic Study of Catholic Theology in Warsaw, the auxiliary bishop of Warsaw, and the diocesan bishop of Warsaw-Praga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanisław Kędziora</span>

Stanisław Kędziora was a Polish Roman Catholic bishop and doctor of theology. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Warsaw from 1987 to 1992 and as auxiliary of the Diocese of Warszawa-Praga from 1992 to 2011.

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References

  1. Wieczorkiewicz, Bronisława (1974). Gwara warszawska dawniej i dziś. Warszawa: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy. p. 13.
  2. Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Overmans, Rüdiger; Vogt, Wolfgang (2022). The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. p. 224. ISBN   978-0-253-06089-1.
  3. "Archdiocese of Warszawa {Warsaw}". Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  4. "Diocese of Warszawa-Praga". Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  5. "The Trendiest Neighbourhoods Across Europe" . Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  6. [ permanent dead link ]
  7. "Wymiana pasażerska na stacjach". Portal statystyczny UTK (in Polish). Retrieved 26 February 2023.

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