City Of Krakow Research Articles

How to Live as a Refugee? Anchoring of the Ukrainian Female Refugees in the Labour Market through Activities of State Institutions and Non-formal Organisations in the Case Study of Krakow

Russia’s aggression in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, has marked a new chapter in European history, generating masses of war refugees who sought refuge in many countries and in large numbers, including Poland. In this article, we analyse the assistance and support provided to Ukrainian women refugees in the city of Krakow, with focus on the labour market integration. The data consists of 19 expert interviews with the representatives of the organisations and institutions, as well as researchers in the migration field. We start with analysing the immediate state response at the national policy level, which created a legal framework allowing refugees, among others, fast entrance to the labour market and to set up businesses. Then, we examine how the responses of public institutions were accompanied by enormous grassroot mobilisation of support provided to Ukrainian refugees in Krakow. As we argue, integration into the labour market is critical for integration, but currently lack of evaluation of policy solutions and informalisation of the labour market may result in the reproduction of vulnerability of female refugees.

The Beginnings of the Secularisation of Marriage in Poland

The incorporation, under the Treaty of Tilsit of 1807, of part of the Polish lands of the Prussian partition into the Grand Empire of Napoleon as the Duchy of Warsaw, opened the way to the implementation of the post-revolutionary provisions of marriage law of the Napoleonic Code in Poland. In 1810, this code was introduced in the lands of the Austrian partition annexed to the Duchy of Warsaw, with its centre in Cracow. The French secular model of marriage, although contradictory to the centuries-old Polish legal culture and the Catholic religion professed by the vast majority of the city’s inhabitants, was nevertheless accepted by the political and legal elites of the time. Not only did it survive the fall of Napoleon, but under the autonomy of the Free City of Cracow it was maintained in 1818 and functioned until 1852, i.e. until the Austrians restored their mixed marriage model regulated by the Abgb.

The Beginnings of Teaching Career of Rev. J. Schindler at the Jagiellonian University in the Years 1832-1836

Reverend Jan Schindler (1802-1890) was regarded as a controversial figure even during his lifetime and has been considered as such to this day, especially in the Cracow environment. During the period known as the Republic of Cracow (1815-1846) he managed to make a brilliant career in a short time, mostly due to his contacts with the Austrian government. The year 1832 was a breakthrough in his career. It was then that thanks to archbishop Ankwicz’s backing, he got permission to move to the Free City of Cracow. The main reason of Schindler’s coming was the nomination for a position of a professor at the Jagiellonian university to lecture on the Bible and eastern languages.

The problem of loneliness and coping with stress in the context of life situations experienced by war refugees (based on the research conducted in Rivne, Ukraine)

The article presents the findings of a thorough investigation of the problem of loneliness and coping with stress in the context of life situations experienced by war refugees, based on an empirical study of 304 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the city of Rivne. The study has shown that IDPs are currently the most vulnerable category of the population due to the following factors: these people have suffered a deterioration of their life quality in terms of the financial and social status which they enjoyed before displacement; they are emotionally unstable and psychologically exhausted as a result of the traumatic war-related events they experienced. Stress, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty have become typical reactions characteristic of displaced persons of any age. The psycho-emotional state of war refugees causes a feeling of alienation, severe stress and loneliness — phenomena that are the result of a number of factors associated with war as one of the most serious crisis situations. As part of the Science for Society II program, the Minister of Education and Science of Poland launched the Faces of Stress and Loneliness in the Context of Military Migration project (November 2023 – March 2024), which envisages conducting a comparative study with the participation of groups of refugees currently living in the cities of Legnica and Krakow (Poland), Drohobych and Rivne (Ukraine). The purpose of the study is to gain an insight into the feeling of loneliness experienced by refugees and internally displaced persons and the coping strategies they use, to determine the level of awareness of global loneliness and its three aspects (emotional, social, existential), to determine the characteristic features of coping strategies used by the respondents in various stressful situations, as well as their long-term and far-reaching social consequences for the further psychosocial functioning of a person in various areas of life. The objectives of the project include determining the possibility of coping with stress by refugees in order to adapt to new circumstances and to continue living an active life under the conditions of war and in the period of transition to peace. A theoretical analysis has been conducted of the phenomenon of loneliness and coping strategies as defined and described in the humanities; the methodology of the research has been substantiated, and the characteristic features of the respondents have been analysed. Based on a statistical analysis of possible loneliness factors and responses to stress, the relationship between socio-demographic and socio-economic variables and stress coping styles has been examined; the link between the feeling of loneliness and stress coping styles has been studied; the hypotheses that the existential face will be predominant among the other faces of loneliness and that war refugees are characterized by differentiated stress-coping styles have been verified. It has been proven that the existential loneliness rate is significantly higher than that of social and emotional loneliness, that is, the dominant face of loneliness is the existential one. As regards the positive statistically significant correlation, it has been found primarily between active and productive/semi-productive coping strategies: the intensity of the task-oriented style differs significantly from that of the emotion-focused and the avoidance-oriented styles. The research data show that the task-oriented style prevails among refugees. The obtained findings necessitated the development of a loneliness and stress coping training program, consisting of 10 sessions, and its implementation in working with war refugees in order to teach them constructive strategies and techniques for coping with stress and the feeling of loneliness under the conditions of reintegration.

Source attribution of carbonaceous fraction of particulate matter in the urban atmosphere based on chemical and carbon isotope composition

Air quality is of large concern in the city of Krakow, southern Poland. A comprehensive study was launched by us in which two PM fractions (PM1 and PM10) were sampled during 1-year campaign, lasting from April 21, 2018 to March 19, 2019. A suite of modern analytical methods was used to characterize the chemical composition of the collected samples. The contents of 14 sugars, sugar alcohols and anhydrosugars, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, selected metals and non-metals and ions were analyzed, in addition to organic and elemental carbon content. The carbon isotope composition in both analysed PM fractions, combined with an isotope-mass balance method, allowed to distinguish three main components of carbonaceous emissions in the city: (1) emissions related to combustion of hard coal, (2) emissions related to road transport, and (3) biogenic emissions. The heating season emissions from coal combustion had the biggest contribution to the reservoir of carbonaceous aerosols in the PM10 fraction (44%) and, together with the biogenic emission, they were the biggest contributors to the PM1 fraction (41% and 44%, respectively). In the non-heating season, the dominant source of carbon in PM10 and PM1 fraction were the biogenic emissions (48 and 54%, respectively).

Saint Joseph Patron of the city of Krakow

The largest and oldest Carmelite sanctuary of St. Joseph was found, in prepartition Poland, in Krakow - Podzamcze in the no longer existing church of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Joseph4. The monastery was erected in 1611-1637 within the defensive walls of the city, with Bishop Piotr Tylicki’s approval and be nefactors’ support. On 26 October 1636 the bishop of Krakow, Jacob Zadzik, consecrated the church and the main altar under the title of St. Michael the Archangel and Joseph betrothed to the Blessed Mother.

Source apportionment of suspended particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) collected in road and tram tunnels in Krakow, Poland.

Here, we present the results of a comprehensive study of air quality in two tunnels located in the city of Krakow, southern Poland. The study comprised three PM fractions of suspended particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) sampled during campaigns lasting from March 14 to April 24, 2016 and from June 28 to July 18, 2016, in the road tunnel and the tram tunnel, respectively. The collected samples had undergone comprehensive chemical, elemental and carbon isotope analyses. The results of these analyses gave the basis for better characterization of urban transport as a source of air pollution in the city. The concentrations of particulate matter varied, depending on the analysed PM fraction and the place of sampling. For the tram tunnel, the average concentrations were 53.2µg·m-3 (PM1), 73.8µg·m-3 (PM2.5), 96.5µg·m-3 (PM10), to be compared with 44.2µg·m-3, 137.7µg·m-3, 221.5µg·m-3, respectively, recorded in the road tunnel. The isotope-mass balance calculations carried out separately for the road and tram tunnel and for each PM fraction, revealed that 60 to 79% of carbon present in the samples collected in the road tunnel was associated with road transport, to be compared with 15-33% obtained in the tram tunnel. The second in importance were biogenic emissions (17-21% and 41-49% in the road and tram tunnel, respectively. Sixteen different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been identified in the analysed samples. As expected, much higher concentrations of PAHs were detected in the road tunnel when compared to the tram tunnel. Based on the analysed PAHs concentrations, health risk assessment was determined using 3 different types of indicators: carcinogenic equivalent (CEQ), mutagenic equivalent (MEQ) and toxic equivalent (TEQ).

Francesco Placidi and Ludwig Ladislaus. On architect and sculptor partnership in the 1740s and 1750s

Two artists, Francesco Placidi from Rome and sculptor Ludwig Ladislaus from Opava, played a significant role in Krakow artistic circles of the 1740s and 1750s. Placidi was brought to Poland by another Roman architect, Gaetano Chiaveri, under whose guidance he directed the construction of the court church in Dresden, and was active in Kraków since 1742. Ladisalus was first recorded in the records of the city of Krakow in 1741. The two lived in the same parishes, first All Saints’ and then St Mary’s, and were connected both socially and professionally. Following the study of sources and styles, it was determined that Placidi designed and Ladilaus executed the interior furnishings of the parish church in Morawica (c. 1748–55) funded by Aleksander August and Maria Zofia Czartoryski, the main altar in the Sanctuary of the Crucified Christ in Kobylanka (c. 1750) funded by Jan Wielopolski, and the main altar in the former collegiate church in Sandomierz (1756–57). A detailed investigation outlined the origin of architectural solutions defined by Placidi and captured the stylistic and formal features that Ladislaus’s sculptures share. The case is but a contribution to further research on the mutual relations between designers and makers of architecture and sculptures. Especially with respect to the roles of both the Italian architect imposing (or not) the general and/or detailed concept of the work, and the sculptor following (or not) the designer’s ideas, yet also contributing his own formal and stylistic solutions resulting from his individual artistic path of development (in the case of Ladislaus: in the Austrian Silesia). Beyond doubt, with his extensive contacts with ecclesiastical and secular aristocracy and the royal court, Placidi played an important role in Kraków, providing a link between artists of various professions, and maintaining familial and social contacts with some.

Dialogue and civic participation at the local level on the example of the city of Cracow

Dialogue and civic participation at the local level on the example of the city of Cracow

THE ISSUE OF ADAPTATION OF SELECTED HISTORIC EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES LOCATED IN THE AREA OF THE HISTORICAL URBAN LAYOUT OF KRAKOW

The article concerns the possibilities of adapting selected historic educational complexes (XX General Secondary School and Mechanical Technical Secondary School No. 15), located in the historical urban layout of the city of Krakow, for the purposes of implementing a scientific project entitled "School of the future: modular and mobile Green Classroom system." The work presents the research objectives, research methods, and general assumptions of the "Green Classrooms" system as new educational spaces, which are to be a modular structure that meets both the educational and social-behavioural needs of children and adolescents. Selected school buildings were also analysed, taking into account their history, architectural and urban composition, conservation conditions, and those resulting from planning documents. The summary determines whether the selected facilities and the plots on which they are located can be adapted for the needs of the scientific project and the "Green Classes" system.

Morphometric Parameters of the Water Bodies of Bagry Wielkie and Bagry Małe in the Biodiversity Context

The article presents the results of nature-based and geodetic query of two neighbouring endorheic borrow pits, i.e., Bagry Wielkie and Staw Płaszowski (Bagry Małe), situated almost in the centre of the Krakow city. The movements of water tables in 2016–2023 were observed (from the moment of ecological disaster in the Staw Płaszowski, in February 2016) and bathymetric maps were presented. Based on geodetic measurements carried out in 2016–2022 and direct observations of nature, documenting biodiversity of both reservoirs in 2019–2022, the authors reviewed the state of biosphere in this location. Surveying, observations and interviews allowed parameterization of both water bodies (morphometric data and bathymetric maps) and creating up-to-date database (location on maps, qualitative and quantitative elements of flora and fauna). The material makes base for further studies with the application of more advanced photogrammetric technologies and UAV technologies, which can make data contained in this publication more accurate.

The impact of the Covid -19 pandemic on the level of unemployment in the City of Krakow

The coronavirus pandemic and the related economic crisis have led to a significantincrease in the number of unemployed people throughout Poland. After years of visibleimprovement in terms of reducing the unemployment rate, there was a "forcedregression". People who were forced to register in Labor Offices included not onlythose who had lost their jobs, but also those whose health condition did not allowthem to work full-time. However, it should be remembered that registered unemployedpeople not only still want to improve their qualifications, but also they are interestedin professional activation in various forms. The aim of this text is primarily to showhow the Covid -19 pandemic contributed to the increase in the number of unemployedpeople in the city of Krakow. For this purpose, an analysis was made of changes thathave occurred since 2015 until today. The above topic was developed using the availableliterary sources on the subject and Internet resources. The literature used to writethis paper was both by Polish and foreign authors. The relevant Internet data comesfrom specialized websites on topics similar to those presented, such as the official sitesof Labor Office or the Central Statistical Office. On their basis, a review and contentanalysis of the above materials was carried out.

A qualitative analysis of reasons for satisfying professional career after completing higher education studies of public health

Introduction. Public health as an academic discipline is taught at different academical levels all around the world. In Poland, the first School of Public Health was launched in 1991 in the city of Krakow, becoming then a part of the Jagiellonian University Medical College. Through more than three decades, this educational entity (Institute of Public Health Jagiellonian University Medical College; IPH JU MC) has educated hundreds of graduates who work for various healthcare stakeholders. Aim. The goal of this study was to find the benefits resulting from studying public health, based on the experiences of IPH JU MC graduates, as well as to characterize the experiences gained and the skills developed during university studies of public health. Material and Methods. Based on 46 interviews conducted with public health graduates, a qualitative analysis was made using NVivo 12 software. Interviews’ content was analyzed with the use of eight codes related to issues mentioned by graduates: EPH (EuroPubHealth), EBM, data analysis, English, project, HTA, practical placement, and students’ scientific clubs. Results and Conclusions. In the interviews the graduates indicated the role of skills gained during education at IPH JU MC, e.g., drawing conclusions based on scientific research, taking part in many public health projects, better language skills thanks to English specialization path, working in the international environment. The results have shown that experiences gained during university studies of public health allow for career development in the healthcare sector. Keywords: professional career, public health, graduates, qualitative analysis, interviews, healthcare.

Study of Centrality Measures in the Network of Green Spaces in the City of Krakow

Access to and interaction with natural blue or green spaces is a critical factor in quality of life and overall well-being. Studies have shown that exposure to natural areas has health benefits for individuals and society. Incorporating interconnected natural ecosystems into the urban fabric is recognized as a means of building urban resilience and mitigating climate change. It is therefore essential to strengthen and expand existing networks. Mathematical measures of centrality provide a valuable approach to analyzing networks, based on the assumption that certain nodes are more central due to better connectivity. However, due to their complexity, centrality measures are not widely used in urban planning studies, and no research has been conducted in specific Polish conditions. This study aims to fill this gap by testing the usefulness of centrality measures in Krakow’s system of green spaces. The results show that there are few well-connected green areas and that the centrality measures vary. The information provided by this study can contribute to a better understanding of the spatial distribution of green spaces in Krakow and in future to better management and decision-making processes aimed at improving the accessibility of green spaces and the quality of life of residents.

Physiological aspects of selected indicator species of undergrowth of old forests

The study concerns the study of selected physiological features of three indicator species of the undergrowth of the oak-hornbeam forest (Anemone nemorosa L., Galeobdolon luteum Huds. emend. Holub and Stellaria holostea L.), after the forest canopy closure. Las Wolski, an isolated forest complex located within the city of Cracow (Southern Poland), was selected for the study. The plant material was collected at two points in the season – right after the forest canopy closure and a month later. Under laboratory conditions, the physiological characteristics of the indicator species were analysed. Light stress may play a smaller role here, and physiological parameters are probably most affected by the phenology of undergrowth species, which is adapted to seasonal changes in habitat conditions. However, these issues require more research.

The Impact of Fireworks Noise on the Acoustic Climate in Urban Areas

New Year’s Eve is an example of a situation in which urban residents are exposed to an almost continuous and increased noise level from the impulsive sounds sources – fireworks. This custom has become a source of many controversies related to the protection of human and animal health or environmental pollution. However, current legal regulations only slightly affect the subject of noise of fireworks and its harmfulness. Currently, it does not seem possible to completely prohibit the use of fireworks in urban areas, but this does not mean that it is not possible to decrease the degree of their annoyance. The paper consists the issues of identification, analysis and assessment of impulsive noise of fireworks and acoustic climate during New Year’s Eve. Material presented refers to measurements of time series, frequency spectrum and values of noise parameters of selected fireworks. It was presented, among others, that the measured values exceed the criteria for occupational noise (LCpeak), due to the direct hazard of hearing loss, from 1.8 dB at a distance of 25 m and 6.2 dB at a distance of 15 m. Also this work discusses results of impulsive noise measurements of fireworks recorded during New Year’s Eve in years 2016–2017. Material refers to measurements at three measurement points spread over the city of Krakow. Obtained results were compared with typical noise levels for night time in urban area, indicating also the main sources of annoyance and hazard from this type of noise.

The Use of Geodata in the Process of the Ventilation of the City of Krakow

The Use of Geodata in the Process of the Ventilation of the City of Krakow

Kancelarie Wolnego Miasta Krakowa – rekonesans badawczy

The article concerns the office system of the Senate of the Free City of Krakow and other institutions functioning in this country in the years 1815–1846. Due to the lack of in-depth research as well as certain similarities in the structure of the preserved to this day archive groups of the Free City of Krakow and Galician institutions, e.g., magistrates, there is a widespread belief that they belong to the same Austrian model. This is evidenced by the coexistence of subject and chronological-number schemes in the documentation arrangement and, perhaps, a similar physical form of archival units. The influence of the Napoleonic period on the Krakow chancellery is omitted. This article draws attention to the fact that it was the system of offices of the Duchy of Warsaw that could have had a decisive influence on the office system of the Free City of Krakow.

THE MYTHOLOGEM OF SNAKE FIGHTING IN THE LEGEND OF "KYRYLO KOZHUMIAKA" BY NATALENA KOROLEVA AND THE LEGEND OF THE WAWEL DRAGON: A COMPARATIVE ASPECT

The article focuses on the artistic peculiarities in representing the mythological motif of snake fighting in Natalena Koroleva's legend "Kyrylo Kozhumiaka". The paper establishes that due to the intertextual paradigm of the writer, she managed to demonstrate the uniqueness, historical relevance, and "inclusion" of Ukrainian culture in the universe of history. In her work, one of the most productive ways of implementing intertextuality is through legendary-mythological reminiscences. It makes possible "to extract" corresponding mythological ethnocodes that represent recorded experience of the world. The demand for such units is explained by their event-semantic and axiological components. The author's interpretation of the Ukrainian folklore plot is exemplified in the context of a comparison with the plot of the Polish legend of the Wawel Dragon. The article establishes that they model the encounter of mythological and religious (Christian) experiences of the world, since the snake-dragon plots fixated the moment of mythological consciousness transformation. The paper determines that the spatial organization of the plots unfolds along the binary opposition of "own" / "foreign", where Kyiv and Krakow are cities of topographia ordinaris, a space marked as "own" one. The new wave of city creation is realized through snake-fighting, where the victorious hero is a young man of humble origin. In the intertextual space of Natalena Koroleva's literary legend, the mythological experience of the world is encoded in the image of the Dragon, the demand to marry the princess (ritual marriage), the fighting model with the serpent, and the religious (Christian) experience is represented in the sacrificial nature of the princess, the Christianization of the snake-fighting motive, and the "new birth" of the city of Kyiv. The mythological experience of the world is embodied in the image of the dragon within the legend of the Wawel Dragon. It represents paganism, while the religious experience is vivid in the battle model with the dragon, Christianization of the dragon-slaying motive, and the "new birth" of the city of Krakow.

Implementation of the preventive vaccination program in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic - single center study.

In addition to many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the COVID-19 pandemic also limited prophylaxis, including the implementation of the vaccination program among children. The aim of the study was to assess the implementation of the vaccination program in the area covered by the care of patients of a selected Primary Health Care clinic in the city of Krakow in the field of selected vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A retrospective study based on secondary data was conducted in a selected clinic (Kraków, Poland) that cares for 1,982 children aged 0-19 years. An analysis of the vaccination coverage in selected groups of children in 2019, 2020 and 2021 was carried out based on annual reports (MZ-54). Vaccination coverage against: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza and pneumococcal infection was analyzed. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi2 test and Fisher's exact test. In the general vaccination status of two-year-olds, no significant differences were observed in the period 2019-2021 (p=0.156). The percentage of fully vaccinated increased from 77.6% in 2019, to 81.5% in 2020 and to 85.2% in 2021. However, a high rate of vaccination refusals was observed in 2021 (4.1%) in this group. The percentage of 2-year-olds vaccinated against pneumococci (PCV) and 3-year-olds against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP), and measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) in the years 2019-2021 was increasing. For DTP and MMR, this increase was significant (p<0.05). In the group of older children, in 2020 the percentage of 7- and 15-year-olds vaccinated decreased compared to 2019 and 2021, but the difference was insignificant (p>0.05). A significant difference in vaccination coverage was observed in the group of 19-year-olds, in which in 2020 the percentage of vaccinated was 58% (in 2019 - 74.6%, in 2021 - 81%). The largest number of children under the age of 5 were vaccinated against influenza in 2021, but it was only less than 2% of this group. Sanitary restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the vaccination status of children in selected age groups against the analyzed vaccine-preventable diseases. The exception is the group of 19-year-olds, whose vaccination coverage in 2020 was much lower than in 2019 and 2021. In addition, an increase in refusals of vaccination was observed, reaching 4.1% in 2021 in the group of the youngest patients.