Warschau

Title

Warschau

Description

Beautiful total view of the city of Warsaw.

ca. 1850

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

The first fortified settlement in what is now Warsaw was the Stare Bródno in the 9th century.In 1529 Warsaw became the permanent seat of General Sejm for the first time from 1569. In 1573 the city gave its name to the Warsaw Confederation and officially established religious freedom in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Because of its central location between the Commonwealth capitals in Krakow and Vilnius, Warsaw became the capital of the Commonwealth and the crown of the Kingdom of Poland when King Sigismund III. Vasa moved his court from Krakow to Warsaw in 1596. In the following years, the city expanded towards the suburbs. Several private independent districts were created - owned by aristocrats and nobles who ruled under their own laws. Between 1655 and 1658 the city was besieged three times, and three times it was captured and looted by the Swedish, Brandenburg and Transylvanian forces. The Great Northern War broke out in 1700. The city was besieged several times and had to pay a heavy toll. Warsaw became an early capitalist city. The reign of August II and August III It was a time of development for Warsaw. The Saxon monarchs brought many renowned German architects with them who rebuilt the city in a Dresden style. The Załuski Library was founded in 1747, the first Polish public library and at that time the largest.