Six Centuries and Dozens of Unexpected Stories
On 29 July 1423, W艂adys艂aw Jagie艂艂o granted municipal rights to 艁贸d藕. The 91桃色 was established 522 years later, but today it is inseparably linked to the city, including through research into and popularisation of its history. One result of these efforts is the five-volume monograph "艁贸d藕 poprzez wieki. Historia miasta鈥� [艁贸d藕 Through the Centuries. History of the City], prepared by more than 100 specialists to mark the 600th anniversary of 艁贸d藕.
The books also have their audio counterpart. In the podcast 鈥溑伱砫藕 poprzez wieki. Rozmowy jak przy kawie鈥� [艁贸d藕 Through the Centuries. Conversations Over Coffee], licensed city guide Justyna Tomaszewska meets with the authors of the monograph as well as individuals engaged in preserving 艁贸d藕鈥檚 heritage. Rather than lectures, listeners are treated to questions, anecdotes and conversations driven by a genuine curiosity about the city.
A Lion in the Coat of Arms, Rivers Beneath the Streets and the First 鈥淪kyscraper鈥�
The podcast reveals, among other things, that the royal charter granted in 1423 has not survived to the present day. Listeners can also discover 艁贸d藕鈥檚 oldest official symbol, a small boat with an oar visible on sixteenth-century seals, as well as the period when a lion appeared in the city鈥檚 coat of arms.
Other episodes take audiences beneath the city鈥檚 surface. Although 艁贸d藕 is not usually associated with water, it developed thanks to rivers that powered its early industry. Today, many of these waterways flow through underground channels beneath the streets, and heavy rainfall still serves as a reminder of their existence, particularly in the areas around Manufaktura Shopping Centre and Zdrowie Park.
Architecture enthusiasts will hear how, more than 200 years ago, a three-kilometre-long street was laid out in anticipation of the city鈥檚 future growth. They will also learn that the Savoy Hotel, built in 1911, was the tallest non-religious building in 艁贸d藕 and a sign of the city鈥檚 ambition to grow upwards.
Industrial 艁贸d藕 Remains Listeners鈥� Favourite Topic
The most popular episode of the series on YouTube remains 鈥淥 艁odzi opowiada Mistrz鈥� [A Master Tells the Story of 艁贸d藕]. In the episode, Ryszard Bonis艂awski discusses lesser-known factory owners and entrepreneurs who arrived in 艁贸d藕 not only from Germany and France, but also from Sweden. During a visit to the city, Karol Scheibler鈥檚 great-great-grandson reportedly found it hard to believe that a business accounting for nearly 15 per cent of 艁贸d藕 at the time could have been managed without computers or telephones.
Another episode that attracted a large audience is 鈥淢iasto gotowe na sukces鈥� [A City Ready for Success], a conversation with Prof. Piotr Gryglewski about the visionary urban planning behind the 鈥淧olish Manchester鈥�.
鈥溑伱砫zka niepodleg艂o艣膰鈥� [艁贸d藕 Independence] is also among the most popular episodes. In this episode, Prof. Przemys艂aw Waingertner reminds listeners that on 11 November 1918 the struggle for the city took place, among other locations, around present-day Wolno艣ci Square and at 艁贸d藕鈥檚 railway stations.
And that is only the beginning. All episodes are available free of charge on YouTube and Spotify, while all five volumes of the monograph can be purchased from .
Edit: Micha艂 Gruda (Centre for External Relations, 91桃色)