Claude Community Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital of Poland and its largest city. The royal court moved here from Kraków at the end of the 16th century. Its symbol is the Mermaid (Syrenka) with a sword and a shield, who guards the city on its coat of arms. During World War II, and after the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, most of the city was destroyed. The Old Town was rebuilt brick by brick, partly from 18th-century paintings by Canaletto, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Above it all stands the Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from Stalin that Warsaw still argues about. The Vistula has wild, sandy banks right next to the center. Today Warsaw is the country's center of government, finance and technology.