History of Warsaw

Early History

The medical tourism center of Warsaw has had a dramatic history, enduring periods of mass extermination, and then, several decades of Communist era misrule, until its current status as one of the fastest growing economies of Europe.

There has been evidence of human settlements in what is now Warsaw, as far back as the 10^th century.  But the first known edifices here wouldn't be built till 1300, when the site of present day Warsaw was chosen by the dukes of Mazovia for their new settlement.  In 1413, the city became the capital of Mazovia, and in 1526, when the last Mazovian duke died heirless, Warsaw passed under the control of the Polish kings.  In 1569, the city was declared the capital of Poland.

In the 18^th century, the city witnessed some of its most spectacular cultural growth, and many of Warsaw's famed churches were built during this time.  When the Prussian, Russian, and Austrian empire divided Poland in 1795, the capital came under the control of the Prussians, and then later after the fall of Napoleonic France, was handed over to the Russians.

At the end of the First World War, the three powers that ruled Poland were defeated, and Poland regained its independence.  Warsaw was reinstated as the country's capital.

Second World War

When the Second World War broke out, the city managed to defend itself heroically in the beginning, but in September 1939, the Nazis moved in.  The Jews were forced behind walled ghettos, and it was in Poland, that the Nazis carried out some of their grandest plans for ethnic cleansing. 

Warsaw Uprising

On August 1944, the brave residents of the city staged one of the most dramatic events of the war, a fearless act of resistance that contributed to a quicker German retreat.  The revolt was doomed right from the beginning because of the lack of outside support.  For 63 days, the city held out, while the Nazis, desperate towards the end of the war, continued to pound away.  Close to 200,000 people died.  When the uprising was finally quelled, the enraged Nazis expelled all residents from the city, and proceeded to systematically destroy close to 85 percent of Warsaw.  The capital of Poland was a ghost town until it was liberated in January 1945.  By this time, the city had lost more than 800,000 of her residents.

Survivors who returned back to their city began a process of reconstruction, but the struggle was far from over for Varsovians.  The country had been liberated by the Russians, who re-established Poland as a Communist-ruled nation.

After several decades of turmoil and economic stagnation, the country held free elections in 1989, which saw the defeat of the Communist party.  The end of Communism ushered in a new era of prosperity for this medical tourism destination, and today, Warsaw is in the midst of an economic boom that permeates the technology, hospitality, and medical tourism sectors.  

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