Ostrow Tumski & The Holy Cross Church

The oldest district of Wroclaw.
Formerly, Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław was an island at the mouth of the Oława River leading to the Oder. Rivers also surrounded it on the eastern and northern sides, where Wyszyńskiego, Sienkiewicza and Mieszka I streets run today. They were filled in at the beginning of the 19th century. The remains of the rivers are ponds at the theological seminary and in the Botanical Garden.

The oldest discovered traces of settlement date back to the 10th century. Then a wooden stronghold was built on the Odra River, which grew over time. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the first stone and brick buildings appeared in Ostrów. In the 13th century, the Piast rulers of Wrocław expanded the castle. The monumental building stood in the area of ​​today's Św. Street. Marcin. Their remains are the Gothic church of St. Martin - it served as the castle chapel.

100 years later, a new princely residence was built on the left bank of the Oder. The castle then lost its importance and was demolished at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Ostrów was already subject to church authorities. It was a refuge for those who committed crimes in the secular part of the city. During World War II, the historic Ostrów Tumski was almost completely destroyed.

Today, Ostrów Tumski is home to the Archbishop's Palace, the seat of the church authorities, the building of the theological seminary and the Pontifical Faculty of Theology. Interestingly, the word "ostrów" itself means an island covered with vegetation.