Wilcza Street, Warsaw
Wilcza is a street in Warsaw's city centre. It links Koszykowa Street in the south-eastern part of the borough with the Three Crosses Square at the Royal Route. Initially, at least since 14th century, the street was just a road running along by the fields belonging to the vogts of old Warsaw, much to the south of the city's limits.
As the family of Wilk dominated the office of the city's vogt throughout the 15th century, the road started to be referred to by their name, initially in the form of Wilcze or Na Wilczem. With time the real etymology became obscure and the name started to be associated with the literal meaning of the surname rather than the surname itself. In 1770 the name was officially approved by the Naming Commission.
History
The old rural road ran through the land of the Warsaw village heads, who in the 15th century were the Wilk family. Therefore, the land was called Wilcza or Na Wilczem. The street’s name, given in 1770, comes directly from the name of that property. Another old name for this street was Kałęczyńska.Around 1765, the owner of these lands, Grand Crown Marshal Franciszek Bieliński, divided up the Wilcza estate and laid out a street through its center.
After 1860, the street became lined with houses and tenement buildings, and in 1881 it was extended to Wielka Street, and later to Koszykowa Street.
The street’s buildings were damaged during the Siege of Warsaw in September 1939.
Wilcza Street is one of the few streets in downtown Warsaw that has preserved pre-war buildings along long stretches on both sides.