Lublin
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History
The oldest traces of settlements in the Lublin area come before 5000 years before Christ and are found on Sławin district. The favorable natural conditions (fertile soil and favorable climate) encouraged settlement in the area of Lublin.
The history of the city dates back to the VI century AD. The first settlement was on the Hill Thursday (Czwartek). Today on Thursday Hill is the Church of St. Nicholas of the sixteenth century (rebuilt in the XVII century in the style of the Lublin's Renaissance). The first church in this spot was pagan temple built in X century. Christian chuch was organised by decision of the king Mieszko I. The name of the hill comes from the market day - Thursday because the hill quickly became a feature fair and St. Nicholas is the patron of merchants.
In the XII century in Lublin was established a wooden castle in Castle Hill.
Lublin City was probably located as a city about 1257 thanks to the king Bolesław Wstydliwy, but the file was not preserved. Documented location was on 15 August 1317 by Władysław Łokietek. The giving of the law resulted in strong trade areas and economy of Lublin.
In 1260 the Dominicans arrived in Lublin. After the location of the city in 1317 they started to build the church and monastery in the Old Town. In the XIV century arose the first town houses. At the XIII and XIV century there was was built Old Parish Church of St. Michael (demolished in the nineteenth century). Today the reconstructed foundations can be seen on the Po Farze Square in Old Town (Plac po Farze).
In 1420 the Bishop Andrzej from Kiev brought to Lublin to the Dominican church large sized relics of the Holy Cross which were there until 1991 when it was stolen. Dominicans, however, still have two smaller reliquaries. Thanks to this Holy Cross Lublin became an important destination of pilgrimages. In the XVI century Dominican church in Lublin was one of the biggest sanctuaries in Poland.
Location by the boarder unfortunately resulted in frequent invasions of Lithuanians, Ruthenians and Tatars. In 1341 the king Kazimierz Wielki won in Lublin over Tatars. As a way to be great ful he surrounded the city with walls (1342) and erected a stone castle and the Holy Trinity Chapel near the existing on the hill stone-tower from the XIII century.
Today Holy Trinity Chapel in the Lublin’s Castle is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Lublin and one of the most valuable and most interesting monuments of medieval art in Poland and Europe. This is the place where met and coexistence Eastern and Western culture. Inside the gothic chapel in 1418 by the decision of Władysław Jagiełło there were created priceless paintings Byzantium-Ruthenians style.
Lublin owes much more to Władysław Jagiełło than just great paintings in castle chapel. Jagiełło gave to the city numerous privileges. Thanks to them the city has become a major center of trade between Poland and Lithuania. In addition to frescoes in the chapel of the Castel, outside the city walls (now Narutowicza Street) there was founded new chuch (today: Powizytkowski church). The church was created to celebrate the victory over Teutonic Knights at Grunwald. The temple was built by Teutonic Knights taken into captivity in Grunwald battle (1410). Today it is one of the most valuable monuments of Lublin Gothic-Renaissance art. Location of the church outside the walls of the city shows a dynamic development of Lublin. On the Rother hand it made the church drained many times and crash victim fires.
Succeeded Jagiełło - Kazimierz Jagiellończyk established in 1474 in Lublin the capital of the newly created province of Lublin which is uninterrupted until today. In 1470-94 the king built the church of St. Paul. Destroyed by fire Gothic church was thoroughly rebuilt in the years 1607-1630 by the Lublin and Italian builders. They created new canons in the style of architecture, called the Lublin’s Renaissance. Feature of this style are slim shape, nave with side chapels ended presbytery, richly decorated high ceilings.
XV and XVI century were years of prosperity Lublin. The city found itself on the main trade route from the Black Sea to Western Europe and the Baltic Sea by Włodzimierz, Lviv, Chełm, Kazimierz Dolny - where they spread in the direction of Gdansk and Silesia. As a result, the city has developed a great deal. In Lublin began the famous bazaars called Jarmarki Jagiellońskie (Jagiellons’ markets). The tradition came back to the town in the early XXI century. Currently Jarmarki Jagiellońskie are a tourist attraction and are held yearly every 15th of August.
The merchant culture in Lublin was a culture of East and West. Get the merchants from all over Europe and Asia, including Jews, Arabs, Turkish, Persians, Hungarians, Czechs, Moravians, Ruthenians, Wołynianie, Ukrainians, Tatars, and many others. Especially good in Lublin felt Italians becouse of catholic traditions. They influented Lublin’s culture a lot. Lublin’s markets have been known throughout Europe as one of the most popular international trade events. Lublin was the main center for trade for among others Spanish wine and grain and cows from the Ukraine. Development of trade created an increasing number of craft workshops and panels such as merchant stalls, massacre, mills and forges. All this has led to rapid economic development and the region of Lublin. City extended its borders, there was the expansion of suburbs: Krakowskie, Żmigród, Czwartek.
In 1513 appeared the first polish book "Fuggy Paradise" wrote by Biernat from Lublin regarded as the first Polish writer.
Often took place in Lublin reunions of mercants as well as politicians. The greatest importance for the history of Poland was signing in 1569 the Polish-Lithuanian union, known as the Lublin Union which created the Republic of Two Nations (Poland and Lithuania). Common between Poland and Lithuania was foreign policy and coin, separate - administration, treasury, army and judiciary. The Republic extended the area over 800 thousand sq km.
After this event started a golden age of Lublin. In the second half of the XVI century Lublin was one of the most important urban centers of the Republic of Two Nations. In Lublin started to work many parish schools and known throughout Europe Jewish Talmudic Academy. Merchants and students come to Lublin, a local youth numerously travel to study abroad. Lublin was a melting pot of cultures, religions, nationalities and ideas.
In the XVI and XVII centuries Lublin became one of the main centers of the Reformation. Work is one of the most important municipalities of the Polish brothers and Calvinist church (from 1562 onwards). From 60-years of the sixteenth century Lublin was considered to be one of the main centers Arians’ movement in Poland, even as its capital. Lublin was known as a city of religious tolerance. To Lublin in 1582 came the Jesuits who established a Jesuit college to organize public debates between Catholics, Jews, Protestants and Arians.
The importance of Lublin in Poland has increased even more when the king Stefan Batory established here in 1578 the Lublin Crown Court - the main court for Lesser Poland and voivodships: Russian, Podilsky and Bełski. This was one of the two tribunals in the Republic (the second one was for the Greater Poland in Piotrkow Trybunalski). Court building is located in the heart of Old Town in its main square. On the stairs in this bulding died Jan Kochanowski – polish first poet higly involved in Lublin Union. Nowadays in the Court you can find an entrance to the underground route leading into cellars of Lublin’s Old Town.
In late XVI century a few of new buldings was located not only in Old Town but also on the outskirts of Lublin for example palaces of Lubomirscy Family and Czartoryscy Family (today at Plac Litewski).
In the XVI w. century outside of city walls by the castle was developed Jewish quarter.
In 1588 was created Orthodox chuch as well as Orthodox community.
In the middle of XVII century the increase religious, political and economic conflicts. Uprising of Kozaks in Ukraine in 1648 caused the panic in Lublin and resulted in a big escape of European merchants from the city. Jagiellońskie bazaars collapsed. Lublin also suffered greatly in the plague epidemic in 1630, in Kozaks’ attack in 1655 and the the war with Swedish (1656). Houses were destroyed and city was depopulated. Subsequent years have contributed to a further fall of the city, mainly through the northern war (beginning of XVIII century).
After the end of the northern war appeared new investments in construction but mostly religious and rich families’ properties. Urban culture was very poorly presented. Formed only the present-day arrangement of main street in Lublin – Krakowskie Przedmieście and Plac Litewski.
During the period of Enlightenment in 1780 in Lublin was established the Commission Boni Ordinis (Good Order) whose actions led to restaurant old ones and construct new municipal buildings and streets and reconstruction of Crown Court and giving him a beautiful classical design. Urban life was awake for a while. Burghers of Lublin joyfully welcomed the announcement of Constitution 3 May. But already in 1792 with an order of Catherine II Russian troops seized the city ending a short-term prosperity.
After the third partition of Poland when the Republic finally disappeared from the map of Europe, Lublin was in Austrian part, the most liberal, but a purely agriculturalwith no investment in industry. It was a period of stagnation in socio-economic development of Lublin.
Between 1809-1815 the city came to the Duchy of Warsaw, however, has not led to greater economic recovery. Social life was deleveloped around the Napoleonic diplomats and officers, who appeared at that time in the city. Several of their tombstones can be found at the cemetery in Lipowa Street.
After Napoleon gave up in 1813 the Russians occupied Lublin. As a result of the Congress of Vienna in 1815 until the half nineteenth century the city was under Russian rule in the Kingdom of Poland. Lublin was divided into two pieces: I – Christian city and II - Jewish city.
Under Russians for the first several years city was developing. There were established first factories in Lublin. Second half of the XIX century is the period of industrial development under the auspices of Russia, which formed the shape of a new urban city. In 1877 Lublin became railway connections with Warsaw and Kovel. Industry was concentrated on factories, machinery, boilers, weighing scales, tannery, brewery, water and steam mills and their owners were mostly Lutheran Church. The life concentraded in disticts: Bronowice and Kośminek.
The day before the outbreak of World War I population has exceeded 80 thousand of which 50% were Jews, 40% Catholic and about 10% Orthodox and Protestants.
World War I gave Lublin (and all Poland) freedom. In the late 1918 (7th November) Lublin became the center of a new state - Interim Government of the Republic of Poland Ignacy Daszyński headed. Lublin was Polish capital city only four days and 11th November an Interim Government subordinated to the central authorities in Warsaw.
In 1918 was organised Catholic University of Lublin and in 1930 the Jewish University of Wise Men (Jeshiwa). Lublin was then regarded as a major cultural center. Major successes have been attained by urban theater, both Polish and Jewish, and also by outstanding local group of literary with Józef Czechowicz and Franciszka Arnsztajnowa at the forefront.
In July 1939 in connection with the more and more dangerous international situation it was decided that in case of war Lublin is a temporary seat of the President of the Republic of Poland. Here in Lublin was also some military industry (first polish plane was constructed and built in Lublin, in 1939 still was working there Lublin aircraft factory by Plage&Laśkiewicz). So after the outbreak of World War II Lublin became one of the main objectives of the German bombardment. The first air attack on the city occurred on September 2 morning. The main purpose was the aircraft factory. Another bombings occurred 9 and 13 September 1939, caused great damage to buildings and streets and the death of several hundred people. From bomb killed a young and extremely talented poet, Józef Czechowicz.
18th September Germans entered the city and began one of the worst periods of Lublin. From September 1939 to July 1944 the city was under German occupation as part of Generalgouvernement. The representatives of the Polish intelligentsia was succesfully killed by Nazis. At the end of October 1939 occupant closed Catholic University of Lublin, schools and theaters. Great drama was the 40 thousand of Jews, which the occupant closed in the getto in area of Lubartowska Street, and in 1942 made its extermination in Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec and Majdanek. Nazi camp Majdanek is now a museum. Terror and extermination of indigenous peoples has also been subject to Poles who were transported for forced work in Germany or to concentration camps, tortured and killed at the headquarters of the Gestapo "Under the Clock" (now a museum) and the Lublin Castle, where he was Gestapo prison.
Shortly after leaving the city by the Germans, Soviet troops entered from and underground Lublin Army troops have been forced to show up and got arrested and interned.
The first post-war years were mainly used for the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged war and occupation. Nationalization of industry led to the disappearance of well-known companies with a multi-traditions. Lacked the Jewish shops and craft workshops. However, extended intensive industry: factory trucks, Lublin Graphic Plants, Plants Lublin Car Repair, agricultural machinery factory, and many others - which resulted in the Lublin population influx from the surrounding towns and villages and the resulting construction of cooperative housing districts.
In 1945 Marie Curie Sklodowska University was organised, as well as cultural institutions like Teatr Wojska Polskiego, then the Dramatic Theatre named Julius Osterwa (in old secessian building in Narutowicza Street), Music Theater (1946), Puppet Theater (1954) and Lublin Philharmonic.
In July 1980 in Lublin and Świdnik workers' strikes took place, which resulted in major socio-political transformations in Poland. Strikes erupted first in Świdnik, after a few days in Lublin, then all over the country, including Gdansk Shipyard, where a month later the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity” was born. Solidarity brought Poland to independence in 1989.
Sightseeing/Tourism:
What you should see in Lublin:
- Old Town, and there: - The main market place with beautiful city houses - Crown Court (built at the end of the XIV century, originally served as a town hall, from the end of the XVI century as a royal tribunal, in the XVIII century, rebuilt in the classicist style of Dominica Merlini, now there is the Office of State Civil). - An underground tour (entrance on the side of the Crown Court, about 300-meter running tourist route into the Old Town buildings. Corridors and 14 rooms are spread on three floors at a depth of 9 to 12 meters.) - Brama Krakowska/ Krakowska Gate – the entrance to Old Town, XVIII century it was given the shape of the Baroque, inside there is the Museum of the History of the City - Brama Gotycka/Gate Gothic (the first gate was built here in XIV century, current shape reconstructed in the twentieth century) - Brama Grodzka/ Gate Grodzka (the main gate to the Old Town from Castle Hill and later on the gate from Christian city to jewish city, becouse of that reason the gate i salso called Jewish Gate, current shape of the XVIII century designed by Merlini) - Brama Rybna/Gate Fish (shape from XV century, a gate leading from the market square to the fish market - the main place of business) - Zaułek Hartwigów – stairs from Rybny Square to Podwale Street. - Brama i Wieża Trynitarska/Gate and Tower Trynitarska (element of old Jesuit college, within the Museum of Sacred Art with a terrace view) - Cathedral - Teatr Stary - Old Theater - the oldest theater building in Poland, the nineteenth-century building, originally located here was Lublin dramatic scene, in the twentieth century cinema. Currently, the building becomes ruin. The building was included in the list of 100 Most Endangered Monuments objects (WMW) of the World Monuments Fund (WMF). - Theater for children to named J. Ch. Andersen with nice back yard. - Dominicans Church - The Museum at the Castle (the castle [gallery of paintings, for instancje Lublin Union by Jan Matejko], XIII century donżon (tower) and the Chapel of the Holy Trinity) - Place po Farze/ Po Farze Square - renovated foundations of XIII century parish church of St. Michael. - Pharmacy Museum - Ku farze Street - one of the narrowest streets in Poland.
Out of Old Town: - Churches: św. Pawła, Powizytkowski, Karmelitans. - A new town hall on Łokietka Square (square was established in 1611 as a trading place for the grain trade, daily noon on the balcony of City Hall is played City Song of Lublin. - Deptak/Krakowskie Przedmieście Street - Plac Litewski
A bit further: - Museum of Majdanek - Museum „Under the clock” (old Gestapo prison) - Skansen/ Ethno Village - Botanical Garden - Lagoon/ Fake lake Zalew Zemborzycki - Saski Park
More info: http://loit.lublin.pl/
Around Lublin: - Chełm and Tower in Słupia - Zamość - Kozłówka (Museum Palace of Czartoryscy Family, Park and amazing Museum of Socrealism) - Nałęczów - Kazimierz Dolny - Pojezierze Łęczyńsko- Włodawskie/ lakes area - Roztocze/forest national park - Lviv (not too far away)
Lublin today
Culure and events
Lublin is famous for its valued worldwide theaters and theater festivals. Most known are: - October Theatrical Confrontations www.konfrontacje.pl - June Festival of Theater of Central Neighbors www.festiwal-sasiedzi.pl - Theater Gardzienice www.gardzienice.art.pl - Held 2 times a year, the Forum of Modern Dance (organised by Center of Culture) - Lublin Dance Theater www.ltt.art.pl - November International Festival of Dance Theaters www.dancefestival.lublin.pl - Central Theater http://www.ck.lublin.pl/index.php?mod=articles_category&acid=85 - Scena In Vitro www.scenainvitro.com - Provisorium Theater / Kampania Teatr- one of the najlepszychw Polish alternative theater http://www.ck.lublin.pl/index.php?mod=articles_category&acid=74&mid=1&mref=5_134 - Theater Osterwa www.teatrosterwy.pl - Musical Theater www.teatrmuzyczny.eu - Theater J. Ch. Andersen - Theater Project Maat www.teatrmaat.pl
Lublin film events: - Kinoteatr Projekt www.kinoteatrprojekt.pl - International Days of Documentary Film Rozstaje Europy - Festival of Alternative Culture ZDAERZENIA
Other Attractions / Festivals / Music: - Lublin’s Night of Culture (June) - Mikołajki folkowe (December) - Lublin Student Culture Days (May) - Jagiellońskie markets www.jarmarkjagiellonski.pl (August) - Lublin Jazz Festival (June) - Jazz in Hades (December) - Tempus Paschale Festival (April) - Festival Gardens of Songs - Festival Sztukmistrzów (festival of curiosities, clowns, magicians)(June) - Festival Fiesta Alegria (for fans of Flamenco music) - Summer of Art and Cinema under the Stars (holiday season in Saski Park) - Festival of Fairy Tellers "Słowo Daję" - Festival „Strefa Inne Brzmienia” Lublin–Lwów - Ogólnopolski Konwent Miłośników Fantastyki Falkon
Lublin fights for the title European Capital of Culture 2016 (details www.lublin2016.pl).
The city also regularly go free magazine about cultural events in the town called ZOOM. You can get it in Center of Culture.
== Famous Poles bound connected with Lublin == You may recognize those names:Józef Czechowicz, Franciszka Arnsztajowa, Jan Kochanowski, Stefan Wyszyński, Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II), Wincenty Pol, Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski, Henryk Wieniawski, Maria Skłodowska-Curie and her grandfather Joseph Skłodowski(director of the Lublin Voivodeship School, Aleksander Glowacki (Bolesław Prus), Alexander Świętochowski, Stanisław Staszic, Juliusz Osterwa.
== What can you associate with Lublin: ==
Famous Lublin's brands and characteristic things are: macarony Lubella, fruit and herbal tea and siropes from Herbapol Lublin, beer Perła, vodka Polmos (eg Żołądkowa Gorzka), vans Lublin (Zuk once), very characteristic Castle, Chapel of the Holy Trinity, Majdanek, KUL and other universities.
Academic Lublin
Currently the city of Lublin is mainly academic city. There are state universities: University of Maria Curie - Skłodowska (UMCS), Technical University of Lublin (PL), University of Nature (UP, former AR Agricultural University), Academy of Medical Sciences (AM) and Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), and many private schools.
Thanks to the culture of students and universities in the city arose such tourist attractions such as the University Botanical Garden interesting, Scena Plastyczna KUL, Lublin Students’ Culture Days (formerly Kozienalia, KULturalia, Juwenalia, Medykalia).
In those universities in Lublin has been designed and built the world's first fiber cable.
KUL Lublin was the first university. Since October 1954 in KUL began to work with lectures about ethics priest dr hab. Karol Wojtyla (future pope John Paul II). In 1956 he was already head of the Department of Ethics. He worked there until the cover features the Pope in 1978.
The city is linked to another great Pole - Millennium Primate, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski. He was the first after World War II bishop of Lublin. He lived in an apartment house in the Po Farze Square. Between 1925-29 he studied at the Catholic University of Lublin and obtained a PhD degree. Being Ordinary Bishop of the Diocese of Lublin in the years 1946-1948 he was also chancellor of Catholic University of Lublin.
At the courtyard of the old building at the Catholic University of Lublin in Racławickie Avenue there is a monument of Wyszynski and Wojtyla (courtyard is worth of visiting).
During the pilgrimage to Poland in 1987, Pope John Paul II visited Lublin, and laid the cornerstone for the construction of the so-called KUL new building - the Collegium of John Paul II. Since 2005 KUL bears the name of John Paul II.
Public transport
Lublin is one of 3 cities in Poland with trolleys (near Gdynia and Tychy). Sympatycy of the mode can even ride the historic trolley bus named ZIU- tek.
Regular bus ticket costs 2 zł (50 eurocents) and students one (available only if You have POLISH students’ id)costs 1 zł.
For a night bus it is 4 zł and for students 2 zł. Wight buses operates Thursday-Saturday, depart once an hour. Tickets You can easily buy at street kiosks and AT the bus driver (no extra fee).
Daily tickets (valid 24 h from the stamp time) costs 10 zł regular one and 5 zł students.
You can aloes get 10-days ticket, 30-days, 90-days and 150-days one. 10 days ticket costs 35 zł.
More info: [[1]]
How to get to Lublin
- from Warsaw (165km): - train (departure al most once an hour), cost around 35 zł (10 euros), travelling time 3 h. - PKS (public bus) - Polski Express bus - minibuses like Contbus,Misura, Antrans, Klan departing from Jana Pawła Avenue in Warsaw by Holiday Inn by Central Train Station
- from Krakow (365km): - train – journey time: 5h, cost: 55 zł - minibuses like Galicja -PKS (public bus)
There is no airport yet in Lublin, but we hope in 2012 we will have one in Świdnik.
