Wola () is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

in western

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, Poland. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it underwent a transformation into a major financial district, featuring various landmarks and some of the tallest office buildings in the city.

History

Village Wielka Wola was first mentioned in the 14th century. It became the site of the elections, from 1573 to 1764, of Polish kings by the szlachta (nobility) of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. The Wola district later became famous for the Polish Army's defence of Warsaw in 1794 during the Kościuszko Uprising and in 1831 during the

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

, when Józef Sowiński and Józef Bem defended the city against Tsarist forces. In the 17th century, the jurydyki of Wielopole, Leszno, Nowolipie and Grzybów were established, which were incorporated into Warsaw in 1791, and today are wholly or partly within the boundaries of the Wola district. In the 19th century, Wola developed as a factory and workers' district. During the 1905 revolution, a May Day march led by Felix Dzerzhinsky ended in clashes with the police, resulting in 25 deaths. The village of Wielka Wola was incorporated into Warsaw in 1916. During the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

(August–October 1944), fierce battles raged in Wola. Around 8 August, Wola was the scene of the largest single massacre by German forces in Poland, of 40,000 to 50,000 civilians. The area was held by Polish fighters belonging to the ''Armia Krajowa''. Wola is currently divided into the neighbourhoods of Czyste, Koło, Mirów, Młynów, Nowolipki, Odolany, Powązki and Ulrychów, which in many cases correspond to old villages or settlements.

Skyscrapers

Numerous office and residential high-rises of up to 53 stories have been built in Wola since the 1990s. Most of them are concentrated along the Towarowa and Prosta streets; these include Varso Tower (), Warsaw Spire (), Warsaw Unit (), Skyliner (), Warsaw Trade Tower (), The Warsaw Hub ( x2), Łucka City (), Ilmet () and Warta Tower (). Many other buildings rising over are currently undergoing construction in Wola, such as the office skyscrapers The Bridge () and Skyliner II (), the Towarowa 22 complex ((, ( and (), and the residential Towarowa Towers ( x2).

Historic landmarks

* St. Lawrence's Church - built 1695–1755 * Church of St Charles Borromeo - designed by Enrico Marconi, built 1841–1849 in Renaissance Revival style * Krongold Tenement House - built 1896–1899 * Church of St. Adalbert - designed by Józef Pius Dziekoński, built 1898–1903 in Gothic Revival style * St. John Climacus's Orthodox Church - built 1903–1905 in Russian Revival style * PDT Wola - department store built 1949–1956 * Za Żelazną Bramą housing estate - housing estate built 1965–72, inspired by the Unité d'habitation * Warsaw Rising Museum - established in 2004 in the buildings of the former tram power station (built 1905–1909) * Norblin - shopping and entertainment complex on the site of the former Norblin factory * Electio Viritim Monument - monument in the area where Polish Kings were elected during 1575-1764 period in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth * Keret House - art installation described as the narrowest house in the world * Powązki Cemetery * Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery

Gallery

File:Varso 05.2022.jpg, Varso File:Warsaw Spire, Poland 22 June 2016.jpg, Warsaw Spire File:Plac Europejski w Warszawie.jpg, Plac Europejski - public green space near Warsaw Spire File:Unit PBPA.jpg, Warsaw Unit File:Warsaw Trade Tower overwiev.jpg, Warsaw Trade Tower File:Kościół św. Karola Boromeusza w Warszawie 2021a.jpg, Church of St Charles Borromeo File:Kamienica Wolfa Krongolda w Warszawie 2023.jpg, Krongold Tenement House File:Kościół św. Stanisława Biskupa i Męczennika w Warszawie 2017.jpg, Church of St. Adalbert File:Cerkiew św. Jana Klimaka w Warszawie 2020.jpg, St. John Climacus's Orthodox Church File:PDT Wola w Warszawie 2020.jpg, PDT Wola department store File:Osiedle za Żelazną Bramą ul. Żelazna róg Chłodnej 2021.jpg, Za Żelazną Bramą housing estate File:Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego 2023.jpg, Former tram power station, now Warsaw Rising Museum File:Warsaw Rising Museum.JPG, Warsaw Rising Museum File:Fabryka Norblina 2022.jpg, Former Norblin factory, now shopping and entertainment complex File:The election area statue Warsaw.jpg, Electio Viritim Monument File:Keret's house eastward 1.jpg, Keret House

References

External links