Praga-South ( pl, Praga-Południe, ) is a district of

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

located on the east bank of the

Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...

River. It consists of Grochów, Gocław, Kamionek and Saska Kępa.

History

The area of today's Praga-South has been inhabited since at least the 7th century. There are traces of settlements established earlier than

itself. However, the swampy and often flooded terrain was deserted as soon as Warsaw was founded. Since the 16th century it was again populated, but due to lack of communication with Warsaw (until the 19th century there were no permanent bridges across the

at Warsaw) it was an unimportant suburb. It shared the fate of a greater area named

Praga 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. History The historical Praga was a small settlement located at ...

, which was the easternmost suburb of Warsaw. In the 17th century one of the areas of present Praga-South was turned into a military camp. In the 18th century part of the area was named Saska Kępa (literally ''Saxon Rise'') after the Saxon Guards of the

Kings of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...

stationed there. Until the early 20th century the area retained its rural character. The area officially became a part of Warsaw in 1916. It soon became one of fastest-growing areas of Warsaw and Saska Kępa became its centre. In the 1920s and 1930s it became one of the most popular

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

areas of the Warsaw's

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...

. During and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the district was not destroyed. Despite several plans, it was not industrialised either, which allowed the district to retain much of its original quiet and peaceful character. Currently there are several new areas with luxurious blocks of flats in the area, but the authorities do not plan to construct more houses and want the character to be preserved. Apart from the Saska Kępa architecture, the main attractions of the borough are the

Stadion Narodowy The Stadion Narodowy im. Kazimierza Górskiego (, en, Kazimierz Górski's National Stadium), known for sponsorship reasons as the PGE Narodowy since 2015 (with patron being added in 2021), is a retractable roof football stadium located in War ...

(''National Stadium''), Skaryszew Park, Kamionek Lake and the Olszynka Grochowska reserve. The battlefield of the

Battle of Olszynka Grochowska The Battle of Olszynka Grochowska was fought on 25 February 1831 in the woods near Grochów, on the eastern outskirts of Warsaw. The Polish army, commanded by Józef Chłopicki, succeeded in preventing its Russian counterpart, under Hans Karl ...

(1831) is also located within the district.

Neighbourhoods within the district

* Kamionek * Saska Kepa * Gocław * Gocławek * Grochów * Olszynka Grochowska ''includes the smaller, unofficial neighbourhood Witolin, whose name continues to exist as the Public Transport Authority's bus terminus "Witolin"''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Praga Poludnie