Krakow (English spelling)

Japanese: クラクフ - くらくふ（英語表記）Kraków

The capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southeastern Poland. It is the cultural, scientific and industrial center of the Lesser Poland region. It has a population of 741,510 (2000), making it the third largest city in Poland. Its German name is Krakau. It is located at the head of the valley where the Vistula River flows from the Carpathian Mountains in the south into the plains, and the city area spreads out on both banks of the Vistula River, with Babel Castle (12th-16th century) at its core, an old town on the hill on the left bank of the Vistula River. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Poland for 300 years from the 14th century, and is a historic city that has many old cultural heritage sites because it escaped the destruction of World War II. In addition to the castle, Babel Hill is home to a cathedral (11th-14th century) that houses the tombs of Polish royalty. There are more than 50 old churches, including the Mariacki Cathedral with its magnificent 15th-century altarpiece, and a 14th-century cloth house. There are many art museums in Krakow, including the National Museum, and the Manggha Center for Japanese Art and Technology, which exhibits Japanese ukiyo-e prints, opened in 1994. Copernicus once studied at Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364. The city is also a key transportation hub connecting the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and light industries such as textiles, weaving, food processing, and tobacco have been thriving since the handicraft era. After World War II, a steel complex was built in the Nowa Huta district, and it has supported the country's economy as Poland's largest steel base.

[Shigeru Yamamoto]

history

A fortress was built around the 8th century, and in the latter half of the 10th century it was under the control of the Czechs, but at the end of the 10th century it became part of Poland, and in 1000 a bishopric was established. In 1241 it was destroyed by war during the Mongol invasion, but was soon restored. In 1257 the city law was enacted, and in 1320 it became the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, and in 1364 Jagiellonian University was established. In the 15th century, commerce, handicrafts, and culture developed significantly, but after the capital was moved to Warsaw in 1596 (Sygmunt III finally moved his palace there in 1611), the city's strength declined. After the Third Partition of Poland (1795), it came under Austrian control, and in 1809 it was annexed by Napoleon to the Duchy of Warsaw. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the city and its surrounding areas were allowed to govern themselves as the Krakow Republic under the protection of Russia, Austria, and Prussia, but after the defeat of the independence uprising in 1846, it was annexed by Austria again. It subsequently became the political and cultural center of Austrian Poland, and was returned to Poland after World War I. During World War II, the German army established a general government in the area, and many Jewish citizens were imprisoned in ghettos and later massacred in the Oświęcim (Auschwitz) concentration camp, 40 kilometers to the west. Historical sites and other attractions were spared from destruction during the war, and the city was liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945.

[Ichiro Abe]

World Heritage Registration

The old town, which still retains many historical buildings, was registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1978 as the "Historic Centre of Krakow" (World Cultural Heritage).

[Editorial Department]

Copernicus Statue
It is located on the campus of the Jagiellonian University (then the University of Krakow), the oldest university in Poland where Copernicus studied. Poland, Krakow ©Shogakukan ">

Copernicus Statue

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ポーランド南東部、マウォポルスカ県の県都。マウォポルスカ地方の文化、科学、産業の中心都市。人口は74万1510（2000）で、ポーランド第三の都市。ドイツ名クラカウKrakau。ビスワ川が南のカルパティア山脈から平野部に出る谷頭部に位置し、都市域はビスワ川左岸の丘にあるバベル城（12～16世紀）を中心とする旧市街を核に両岸に広がる。14世紀から300年間ポーランド王国の首都が置かれ、第二次世界大戦の戦禍を免れたため古い文化遺産を多く残す歴史的都市である。バベルの丘には城のほか、ポーランド王族の墓がある大聖堂（11～14世紀）がある。15世紀の壮大な祭壇画のあるマリアツキ寺院をはじめ、古い教会の数は50以上に及び、14世紀の織物館も残る。クラクフ国立博物館をはじめ美術館も多く、日本の浮世絵などを展示する日本美術・技術センターManggha(マンガ)が1994年に開館。1364年創立のヤギエウォ大学では、かつてコペルニクスが学んでいる。また、市はバルト海と黒海とを結ぶ交通上の要衝で、手工業時代以来の繊維、織物、食品加工、タバコなどの軽工業が発達する。第二次世界大戦後ノバ・フータ地区に鉄鋼コンビナートができ、ポーランド最大の鉄鋼基地として国の経済を支えてきた。

［山本　茂］

歴史

8世紀ごろ城塞(じょうさい)が築かれ、10世紀後半にはチェコ人の支配下に置かれていたが、10世紀末ポーランド領となり、1000年には司教座が置かれた。1241年にはモンゴル人の侵入によって戦禍を受けたが、まもなく復興した。1257年都市法が制定され、1320年にはポーランド王国の首都になり、64年にはヤギエウォ大学が設立された。15世紀には、商業、手工業、文化の著しい発展をみたが、1596年（ジグムント3世が最終的に宮殿を移したのは1611年）のワルシャワ遷都後は市勢が衰えた。第三次ポーランド分割（1795）後はオーストリア領となり、1809年にはナポレオンによってワルシャワ公国に併合された。1815年のウィーン会議では、市とその周辺はロシア、オーストリア、プロイセンの保護下に置かれたクラクフ共和国として自治が許されたが、46年の独立蜂起(どくりつほうき)が敗北すると、ふたたびオーストリアに併合された。その後、オーストリア領ポーランドの政治や文化の中心地となり、第一次世界大戦後ポーランドに復帰した。第二次世界大戦中はドイツ軍の占領地総督府が置かれ、多くのユダヤ系市民がゲットーに監禁され、のち西方40キロメートルにあるオシフィエンチム（アウシュウィッツ）の強制収容所で虐殺された。戦争中、史跡などの破壊は免れ、1945年1月ソ連軍によって解放された。

［安部一郎］