Ostrów Tumski (, , german: Dominsel) is the oldest part of the city of
Wrocław
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
in south-western
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. It was formerly an
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
(''ostrów'' in
Old Polish language
The Old Polish language ( pl, język staropolski, staropolszczyzna) was a period in the history of the Polish language between the 10th and the 16th centuries. It was followed by the Middle Polish language.
The sources for the study of the Ol ...
) between branches of the
Oder River.
History
Archaeological excavations have shown that the western part of Ostrów Tumski, between the Church of St. Martin and
the Holy Cross, was the first area to be inhabited. The first, wooden church (St. Martin), dating from the 10th century, was surrounded by defensive walls built on the banks of the river. The island had approximately 1,500 inhabitants at that time.
The first constructions on Ostrów Tumski were built in the 10th century by the
Piast dynasty, and were made from wood. The first building from solid material was St. Martin's chapel, built probably at the beginning of the eleventh century by
Benedictine monks
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
. Not long after the first cathedral was raised, in place of the small church. Religious buildings appeared in Ostrów Tumski because during the
Congress of Gniezno in
AD 1000
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
, it was decided to create a
bishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
in
Wrocław
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
.
In 1163 the settlement was raided by
Boleslaw I the Tall who had returned from his banishment. After taking control of the area and waiting for the political situation in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
to stabilize, he chose Ostrów Tumski as his new capital. He began replacing the wooden defenses with brick ones and build a Roman-style residence.
In 1315 Ostrów Tumski was sold to the church. Since the island ceased to be under secular jurisdiction, it was often used by those who had broken the law in Wrocław, as a place of
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...
. An interesting indication of the special status of the island was a ban on wearing any headdress by men, effective even on
Tumski Bridge beyond the border pole of this small "ecclesiastical nation" (the law also applied to royalty).
In 1503-1538
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic canon, who formulated ...
was a canon of the
collegiate chapter of the Holy Cross at Ostrów Tumski.
In 1766 at Ostrów Tumski,
Giacomo Casanova
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...
lived at the house of Father Bastiani.
Gallery
File:Dominsel Breslau.png, Ostrów Tumski in the 18th century (by Friedrich Bernhard Werner)
File:Wroclaw kosciol sw Idziego.jpg, St. Giles Church, built in the 1220s
File:Wroclaw-katedra Jana Chrzciciela.jpg, Wrocław Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Wrocław, ( pl, Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela, german: Breslauer Dom, Kathedrale St. Johannes des Täufers), is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław and a landmark of the city of W ...
File:Уроцлаўскія замалёўкі 17.jpg, Tumski Bridge
File:Św. Jana Nepomucena (4022236730).jpg, John of Nepomuk Monument
File:Wrocław Pałac Arcybiskupi z 1794r..JPG, Archbishop's Palace
File:MostTumski@2008~2010AndrzejJurkowski.jpg, Ostrów Tumski as seen from the Piasek Island
File:PL-DS, Wrocław, pl. Katedralny 14; Biskupi Konwikt Teologiczny Georgianum; A-1059.jpg, Wrocław Seminary, built in 1894
See also
*
Domfreiheit {{Multiple issues, {{refimprove, date=July 2015{{more footnotes, date=July 2015
In the Holy Roman Empire, the Domfreiheit (German: Cathedral Freedom) or Domimmunität (Cathedral Immunity) was the area immediately around the seat of the Bishop o ...
References
External links
*
*
Ostrów Tumski we Wrocławiu - Wyspa Katedralna
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostrow Tumski, Wroclaw
Districts of Wrocław
Tourist attractions in Wrocław