Wrocław: history, geography, culture and landmarks

Topographical situation

Wroclaw is located in the Lower Silesian Plain on the upper reaches of the Odra River at an altitude of 111 metres between the Katzengebirge mountain range in the north and the foothills of the Sudeten Mountains in the south. Four tributaries of the Odra River flow through the city area: Ohle (Oława), Lohe (Ślęza), Weide (Widawa) and Schweidnitzer Weistritz (Bystrzyca). Built between numerous canals, the city is situated on twelve islands, connected by 100 to 300 bridges, depending on the criteria used. Due to the numerous bridges and footbridges, the city is also called the Venice of Poland.

City area

The city covers an area of 293 square kilometres, of which 114 square kilometres (39%) are built-up. Of these, 29 square kilometres are purely residential. Wroclaw is the major city with the most green spaces in Poland: 25 m² of green space per inhabitant.

City breakdown

Wroclaw is divided into five city districts, whose administrative importance was largely reduced in favour of the city administration after the administrative reform in 1990.

Climate

Wroclaw is located in the temperate zone. The climate in the region is characterized by cool winters and warm summers. The warmest month is July (Ø 25.5 °C), January is the coldest month of the year (Ø 2.9 °C). Wroclaw is one of the warmest cities in Poland. The climate in Wroclaw is similar to that of Berlin, for example, with somewhat colder and drier winter months and similar average annual precipitation (Ø 539 mm). The record cold temperature in Wroclaw is minus 32.0 degrees Celsius, measured on 11 February 1956, and the previous highest temperature was measured on 8 August 2015 with a maximum temperature of 38.9 °C. The summer is warm with highs around 25 °C; on average 56 days 25 °C to 30 °C are measured, on average 12 days above 30 °C. In addition, it is slightly changeable with occasional showers or thunderstorms, but this is also the sunniest time with seven to eight hours daily.

City President

Jacek Sutryk has been the city president since 2018. His predecessor was Rafał Dutkiewicz for 16 years. The 2018 election resulted in the following:

• Jacek Sutryk (Koalicja Obywatelska) 50,2 % of the vote
• Mirosława Stachowiak-Różecka (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) 27.5% of the vote
• Katarzyna Obara-Kowalska (Bezpartyjny Wrocław) 7.4% of the vote
• Jerzy Michalak (Electoral Committee Jerzy Michalak) 6,9 & of the votes
• Zbigniew Antoni Jarząbek (Kukiz'15) 2.4% of the vote
• Marta Lempart (Wiosna) 2.3% of the vote
• Others 3,3 % of the votes

Sutryk was thus elected on the first ballot.

City Council

Wroclaw has been the capital of the Lower Silesia Voivodeship since 1999. The city council consists of 37 members and is directly elected. The 2018 city council election resulted in the following:

• Koalicja Obywatelska (KO) 35.0% of the vote, 17 seats
• Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS) 26.6% of the vote, 13 seats
• Electoral Committee Rafał Dutkiewicz - Alliance for Wroclaw 14.2% of the vote, 7 seats
• Bezpartyjny Wrocław 7.9 % of the vote, no seat
• Election Committee Jerzy Michalak 5.9% of the vote, no seat
• Kukiz'15 3.6% of the vote, no seat
• Partia Zieloni 2.7% of the vote, no seat
• Electoral Committee for All 2.6% of the vote, no seat
• Others 1,5 % of the votes, no seat

City coat of arms

• The coat of arms granted to the city by Emperor Charles V was used from 1530-1938 and 1945-1948, and was depicted on the flag of Wroclaw before 1938. It has been in use again since 1990: squared; instead of a central shield occupied by an erect silver bowl, in it the head of John the Baptist. In the first field in red a left-turned, gold-crowned, ­double-tailed, silver lion (the Bohemian lion), in the second field in gold a black eagle, whose breast is covered with a rising silver crescent (breast moon) (the Silesian eagle), in the third field in gold a black "W" (from the city name Wratislavia and the city founder Wratislaw), in the fourth field in red the head of John the Evangelist with a golden nimbus; the neck is covered by a golden pectoral ornament in the shape of an overturned crown. The two St. Johns, together with St. Hedwig, are special patrons of the Silesian Church.
• During the period of National Socialism, a town coat of arms designed by the artist Mjölnir was used from 1938 to 1945: divided; above in gold a red-armoured black eagle, its breast covered with a rising silver crescent (the Silesian eagle), below in red the Iron Cross with the year 1813.
• Under the communist government of Poland in 1948-1990 a city coat of arms was used with the following image: on the right in red the half silver but uncrowned Polish eagle, on the left in gold the half black Silesian eagle.

Twinning

The twelve twin cities of Wroclaw are