The Kraków Fire of 1850 started on 18 July and lasted several days. It is estimated to have destroyed about 10 percent of the city of

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, which was then part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

's district of the

Grand Duchy A grand duchy is a country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess. Prior to the early 1800s, the only Grand duchy in Europe was located in what is now Italy: Tuscany ( ...

Background

In 1850 the city of Kraków was still heavily reliant on wood as construction material. Most of the 1700 buildings in the city were wooden, and the masonry ones had many wooden elements. The city had poor water infrastructure, and no full-time fire service.

The fire

The fire started on 18 July on city outskirts around the Krupnicza Street, in the grain mill area. The fire is attributed to an accident caused by a miller and a smith, who while fixing some equipment started a fire in a mill building which then spiraled out of control. The fire grew due to strong winds which spread it to nearby buildings, affecting the city center. Within hours it affected over eight streets, though it was stopped from spreading further.

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

students prevented it from causing more than superficial damage to the university's library. The spread of the fire was stopped within one day, but it took several more days and military's assistance to eliminate it completely. Krakow-cityplan by M Niewiarowski 1850

The fire caused the destruction of approximately one tenth of the city: 153 buildings, two palaces, two or three monasteries, and four churches.

Aftermath

The fire was responsible for subsequent economic stagnation in the city. The fire also made the city government increase the fire fighting budget, though the first (voluntary) fire service would not be established until 1865. Final restoration of all affected buildings was finished only in 1912.

Destroyed or damaged landmarks

* Bishop's Palace, Kraków *

Wielopolski Palace The Wielopolski Palace in Kraków, Poland, is the location of the Kraków City Council and the office of the President of Kraków. The palace and the courtyard buildings are located between the All Saints 3–4 Square (''Plac Wszystkich Świętyc ...

Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Kraków Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

Basilica of the Holy Trinity, Kraków The Basilica of the Holy Trinity () in Kraków, Poland, is a Catholic basilica. Built in a gothic style, it also houses a monastery of the Order of Preachers. Its history dates from the year 1223. Saint Hyacinth of Poland is buried in the church ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kraków Fire of 1850 1850 in the Austrian Empire 1850s in Poland 1850 fires 19th-century fires in Europe History of Kraków Fires in Poland Fires in Austria Urban fires in Europe 1850s disasters in Europe 19th-century disasters in Poland