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 officia ...

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 Grochów is a district of Warsaw, officially part of the borough of Praga-Południe although not connected at all to the historical "Praga" district. It is one of the most notable residential areas of right-bank Warsaw. There are many blocks of ...

, Gocław,

Kamionek Kamionek, is a neighbourhood in Warsaw, located on the right bank of the Vistula river. It is the birthplace of the polish statesman Roman Dmowski. Formerly a village, in the 19th century, with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in this pa ...

and

Saska Kępa Saska Kępa (, ''Saxon Meadow'') is a neighbourhood in Warsaw, Poland, part of the Praga Południe (South Praga) district, with a population of over 40.000 inhabitants. It is also the home to one of Warsaw's largest urban parks, the Skaryszew Park ...

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

(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 Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

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 s ...

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. Commo ...

. 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the district was not

destroyed Destroyed may refer to: * ''Destroyed'' (Sloppy Seconds album), a 1989 album by Sloppy Seconds * ''Destroyed'' (Moby album), a 2011 album by Moby See also * Destruction (disambiguation) Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a ...

. 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

architecture, the main attractions of the borough are the Stadion Narodowy (''National Stadium''),

Skaryszew Park Skaryszew Park (pronounced ) is an urban, monumental park located in the Praga-Południe (South Praga) district of Warsaw, Poland. The park was designed and created by Franciszek Szanior in 1906.Praga Południe, Michał Pilich, wyd. Urząd Dzie ...

Kamionek Lake Kamionek, is a neighbourhood in Warsaw, located on the right bank of the Vistula river. It is the birthplace of the polish statesman Roman Dmowski. Formerly a village, in the 19th century, with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in this pa ...

and the

Olszynka Grochowska Olszynka Grochowska is a subdistrict located in northern part of Praga-Południe, in south-east Warsaw. The subdistrict is mostly a forest area. Home to a nature reserve. Railway station is also located here. The area is commonly recognised due ...

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

* Saska Kepa * Gocław *

Gocławek Gocławek is an officially designated neighbourhood within the Warsaw district of Praga Południe 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 ...

''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