Kraków ( Polish pronunciation: [ˈkrakuf] ( listen)), also spelled Cracow or Krakow (UK: ; US: ), is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River ( Polish : Wisła ) in the Lesser Poland ( Polish : Małopolska) region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland 's most important economic hubs. It was the capital of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1038 to 1569; the Polish –Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1596, the Free City of Kraków from 1815 to 1846; the Grand Duchy of Cracow from 1846 to 1918; and Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1998. It has been the capital of Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999.
The city has grown from a Stone Age settlement to Poland 's second most important city. It began as a hamlet on Wawel Hill and was already being reported as a busy trading centre of Slavonic Europe in 965. With the establishment of new universities and cultural venues at the emergence of the Second Polish Republic in 1918 and throughout the 20th century, Kraków reaffirmed its role as a major national academic and artistic centre. The city has a population of approximately 760,000, with approximately 8 million additional people living within a 100 km (62 mi) radius of its main square.
After the invasion of Poland by the Nazi Regime at the start of World War II, the newly defined Distrikt Krakau ( Kraków District) became the capital of Germany 's GeneralGovernment.
