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Praga-Południe

Praga-Południe
Warsaw Borough
Coat of arms of Praga-Południe
Coat of arms
Location of Praga-Południe within Warsaw
Location of Praga-Południe within Warsaw
Country  Poland
Voivodeship Masovian
County/City Warsaw
District Praga
Notable landmarks Saska Kępa architecture, Park Skaryszewski, Stadion Narodowy (National Stadium)
Government
 • Mayor Tomasz Kucharski
Area
 • Total 22.4 km2 (8.6 sq mi)
Population (2003)
 • Total 187,845
 • Density 8,400/km2 (22,000/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s) +48 22
Website Praga-Południe website

Coordinates: 52°14′30″N 21°05′02″E / 52.241729°N 21.083867°E / 52.241729; 21.083867

Praga-Południe (Polish pronunciation: [ˈpraɡa pɔˈwudɲɛ], South Praga) is a borough of Warsaw located on the east bank of the Vistula River. It is in fact not a part of historical Praga district - on the contrary, it is located to the South-East from Praga and consists of Grochów, Gocław, Kamionek and Saska Kępa.

The area of today's Praga-Południe has been inhabited since at least the 7th century. There are traces of settlements established earlier than Warsaw itself. However, the swampy and often flooded terrain was deserted as soon as Warsaw was founded. Since the 16th century it was again populated, but due to lack of communication with Warsaw (until the 19th century there were no permanent bridges across the Vistula at Warsaw) it was an unimportant suburb.

It shared the fate of a greater area named Praga, which was the easternmost suburb of Warsaw. In the 17th century one of the areas of present Praga-Południe was turned into a military camp. In the 18th century part of the area was named Saska Kępa (literally Saxon Rise) after the Saxon Guards of the Kings of Poland stationed there.

Until the early 20th century the area retained its rural character. The area officially became a part of Warsaw in 1916. It soon became one of fastest-growing areas of Warsaw and Saska Kępa became its centre. In the 1920s and 1930s it became one of the most popular villa areas of the Warsaw's middle class.


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