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Free City of Cracow

Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Cracow with its Territory
Wolne, Niepodległe i Ściśle Neutralne Miasto Kraków z Okręgiem
Protectorate of Austria, Prussia and Russia
1815–1846
Flag Coat of arms
Location of the Free City of Cracow within Europe
Territory of the Free City of Cracow (orange) and its three neighbours (Kingdom of Prussia, Austrian Empire and Russian Empire)
Capital Kraków
Languages Polish
Religion Roman Catholic
Government Constitutional republic
Legislature Assembly of Representatives (Cracow)
History
 •  Established 3 May 1815
 •  November Uprising 29 November 1830
 •  Kraków Uprising 16 November 1846
Area
 •  1815 1,164 km2 (449 sq mi)
Population
 •  1815 est. 95,000 
     Density 82/km2 (211/sq mi)
 •  1843 est. 146,000 
     Density 125/km2 (325/sq mi)
Currency
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Duchy of Warsaw
Grand Duchy of Cracow

The Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Cracow with its Territory (Polish: Wolne, Niepodległe i Ściśle Neutralne Miasto Kraków z Okręgiem), more commonly known as either the Free City of Cracow or Republic of Cracow (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Krakowska, German: Republik Krakau), was a city republic created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which included the city of Kraków and its surrounding areas. It was controlled by its three neighbours (Russia, Prussia, and Austria). It was a center of agitation for an independent Poland. In 1846, in the aftermath of the unsuccessful Kraków Uprising, it was annexed by the Austrian Empire. It was a remnant of the Duchy of Warsaw, which was partitioned between the three states in 1815. It was an overwhelmingly Polish-speaking city-state; of its population 85% were Catholics, 14% were Jews while other religions comprised less than 1%. The city of Kraków itself had a Jewish population reaching nearly 40%, while the rest were almost exclusively Polish-speaking Catholics.

The Free City was approved and guaranteed by of the of 3 May 1815. The statelet received an at the same time, revised and expanded in 1818, establishing significant autonomy for the city. The Jagiellonian University could accept students from the partitioned territory of Poland. The Free City thus became a center of Polish political activity on the territories of partitioned Poland.

During the November Uprising of 1830–31, Kraków was a base for the smuggling of arms into the Russian-controlled Kingdom of Poland. After the end of the uprising the autonomy of the Free City was severely restricted. The police were controlled by Austria and the election of the president had to be approved by all three powers. Kraków was subsequently occupied by the Austrian army from 1836 to 1841. After the unsuccessful Cracow Uprising of 1846, the Free City was annexed by Austria on November 16, 1846 as the Grand Duchy of Cracow.


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Wikipedia

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