Wrocław
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wrocław ? is the biggest city in Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk) in the southwest part of Poland. The Oder River goes through the city. There are also 4 other small rivers which connect with the Oder River in the territory of city: Bystrzyca, Oława, Ślęza and Widawa. Before World War II there were 303 bridges in the city; now there are about 220. The German name of the city is Breslau, and the Czech name is Vratislav. In Latin language it is called "Vratislavia"
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[edit] History
Wrocław is over 1000 years old. It was originally a Slavic town. During the Middle Ages it became a German city. It was called Breslau for a long time. During the Second World War the city was badly damaged. About 70% of the buildings were damaged. Many of them were rebuilt. After the war, the city became Polish again, and the German citizens were forced to leave. It has been called by its Polish name Wrocław ever since.
[edit] Modern Wrocław
Its population in 2004 was 638,000. There are 10 universities in the city. It is famous for its beautiful historical town square (Polish rynek) and cathedral (large church).
In 1997 the Oder River flooded, causing a lot of damage.
[edit] Nobel Prize winners from Wrocław
10 people from Wrocław have won the Nobel Prize. They are:
- Theodor Mommsen (1902)
- Philipp Lenard (1905)
- Eduard Buchner (1907)
- Paul Ehrlich (1908)
- Gerhart Hauptmann (1912)
- Fritz Haber (1918)
- Friedrich Bergius (1931)
- Otto Stern (1943)
- Max Born (1954)
- Reinhard Selten (1994)
