Rozwój, odrzucenie, powrót – fazy interakcji miasto-rzeka w kontekście Wrocławia
Development, rejection, return – phases of city-river interaction in the context of Wrocław

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents the history of relations between a city and a river in the context of Wroclaw. It shows two of the most common relations. The first shows the development of the city on the river bank, and a use of advantages given by the location (transport, commerce, defense). It also shows the diminishing role of the river during industrialization when water becomes the symbol of grime and disease. Later on, the process of covering the river over and forgetting about it is shown. After some time, comes the process of resumption of the river. The second relation mentioned is the development of the city by the river, using all the benefits of the location. During the industrialization period, the role of the river is slightly reduced, but is renewed again, allowing for a balanced process of development of the city and the river. The history of Wroclaw and the Oder is compared to these two types of relations, and a new relation is created; a combination of both. Initially, Wroclaw coexisted with the river perfectly. It was the II World War with its damages and the subsequent change of the political system that brought to a stop all the hydraulic engineering investments and the river development itself. The situation changed after the 1997 Oder Flood when the city started to reverse itself towards the river. The main chance for dynamic development of the river in Wroclaw is the fact that all the initiatives and investments are guided by different social groups. Moreover, those activities have a diverse nature (business, social, artistic, recreation) which increases the spectrum of potential users.

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