Editing Praga (section)

== History ==
[[File:Rzez pragi.png|thumb|left|[[Massacre of Praga]] (1794)]]
The historical Praga was a small settlement located at the eastern bank of the [[Vistula]] river, directly opposite the towns of [[Warsaw|Old Warsaw]] and [[Mariensztat]], both being parts of Warsaw now. First mentioned in 1432, it derived its name from the Polish verb ''prażyć'', meaning ''to burn'' or ''to roast'', as it occupied a forested area that was burnt out to make place for the village.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Wieczorkiewicz | first = Bronisława | title = Gwara warszawska dawniej i dziś | publisher = Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy | location = Warszawa | date = 1974 | page = 13}}</ref> Separated from Warsaw by a wide river, it developed independently of the nearby city, and on 10 February 1648 king [[Władysław IV of Poland]] granted Praga with a city charter. However, as it was mostly a suburb and most buildings were wooden, the town was repeatedly destroyed by fires, floods and foreign armies. Currently the only surviving historical monument from that epoch is the [[Church of Our Lady of Loreto]].

Although there were numerous attempts to build a permanent bridge across the river, none succeeded and Praga remained a separate entity well into the 18th century. Communication between the capital and Praga was maintained by privately run ferries and, in the winter, over the ice. Finally, in 1791, during the reign of [[Stanisław August Poniatowski]], Praga was attached to Warsaw as a [[Districts of Warsaw|borough]].

The [[Battle of Praga]], or the Battle of Warsaw, was a [[Imperial Russia|Russian]] assault during the [[Kościuszko Uprising]] in 1794. It was followed by a massacre in which 12,000 inhabitants of the Praga district lost their lives.

[[File:Warsaw district Praga 1939.jpg|thumb|left|Praga after German bombardment in September 1939]]
During the [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|German occupation of Poland]] in [[World War II]], in 1944, the Germans operated a subcamp of the Oflag 73 [[German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II|prisoner-of-war camp]] for officers in Praga.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Megargee|first1=Geoffrey P.|last2=Overmans|first2=Rüdiger|last3=Vogt|first3=Wolfgang|year=2022|title=The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV|publisher=[[Indiana University Press]], [[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]]|page=224|isbn=978-0-253-06089-1}}</ref> Unlike the central parts of Warsaw, Praga remained relatively untouched during the war and in the postwar period of reconstruction, the capital was home to many ministries and public facilities.

Because of the traditional separate status of Praga, there are two Catholic dioceses in Warsaw: ''[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warsaw|Archdiocese of Warsaw]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dwars.html |title=Archdiocese of Warszawa {Warsaw} |work=Catholic Hierarchy |access-date=2010-08-07}}</ref> with [[St. John's Archcathedral (Warsaw)|St. John's Cathedral]] and ''[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Warszawa-Praga|Diocese of Warsaw-Praga]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dwapr.html |title=Diocese of Warszawa-Praga |work=Catholic Hierarchy |access-date=2010-08-07}}</ref> with [[St. Florian's Cathedral]].

The derelict district experienced a revival following the [[End of Communism in Poland (1989)|end of Communism]] in 1989, as young artists moved into many of the former factory buildings, drawing crowds in search of something different from the [[Warsaw Old Town|Old Town]]. The increasing popularity of the area helped to change it into one of Poland's and Europe's creative hubs as it has been described as one of the "trendiest neighbourhood across Europe".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/these-12-european-neighborhoods-are-so-trendy-it-hurts/ |title=The Trendiest Neighbourhoods Across Europe |access-date=2018-08-06}}</ref>

[[File:Unusual lifesize group sculpture of street musicians in Praga district in Warsaw (8121509220).jpg|thumb|A lifesize group sculpture of street musicians in Praga]]
In 2011 the local [[Monument to Brotherhood in Arms]] was taken down; in 2015 this decision was made permanent.<ref>[http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/warsaw/sightseeing/praga/Soviet-War-Memorial_18425] {{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>