Wroclaw - Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII.

In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here.

Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau.

Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors.

After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule.

The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau.

In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague.

The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers.

After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king.
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The cathedral is located in the Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island) district, which is the oldest part of the city.

The first church at the location of the present cathedral was built under Bohemian rule in the mid 10th century. After the Polish conquest of Silesia, this church was replaced by a larger basilical structure. The was however soon destroyed, probably by invading Bohemian troops around 1039. A larger, Romanesque-style church was soon built in its place. After the Mongol invasion, the church was rebuilt in the present-day Brick Gothic style. The construction of the new choir and ambulatory started in 1244.

In 1540, a fire destroyed the roof, which was restored. Another fire in 1759, burnt the towers, roof, sacristy, and quire. The damage was slowly repaired during the following 150 years. Between 1873-75 the interior and western sides were rebuilt in neogothic style.

The cathedral was severely damaged during the Siege of Breslau in the last days of WWII. The initial reconstruction of the church lasted until 1951. The original, conical shape of the towers was restored only in 1991. The towers are the tallest steeples in the city, at nearly 98 meters.