The current division system replaced the one from 1952, when Wrocław was divided into five main boroughs (dzielnice). Although they were abolished in 1991 and have not existed as public administration units since then, areas of borders and names similar/identical to the former districts still exist in the practice of operation of various types of authorities and administrations (e.g. as divisions of territorial competencies of courts, prosecutors' offices, tax offices, etc.).
The former settlements that were incorporated into the city form some of Wrocław's current districts. Some districts may also consist of multiple former neighborhoods that have been combined into a larger district. A few, such as Grunwald Square or Powstańców Śląskich, were established and named after streets in the area.
As of 2022, Leśnica is the most populous district in the city, with a population of 31,971 people living in the area. The least populous district in Wrocław is Bieńkowice, with a population of 577 inhabitants.[2]
Until 1945, Wrocław (then Breslau) was divided in two levels: into Stadtteile ('city parts') corresponding to the former settlements, while these were divided into Viertel ('neighborhoods, quarters'), sometimes administratively combined with each other, derived from the original division of the medieval city into four parts.
The Polish administration's seizure of power in Wrocław in 1945 led to changes in the city's administrative division. The previous German division was replaced by a new division into twelve districts. By 1946, the number of districts was reduced to eight.
Each of the eight districts was overseen by the Municipal District Office, an auxiliary unit of the City Board. In 1951, the city's four districts expanded with the annexation of new neighborhoods. The division of Wrocław into eight districts ended in 1952, when they were replaced by five boroughs. The boundaries of the newly introduced districts partially overlapped with those of the former ones.
Districts in 1952–1991
Wrocław was previously subdivided into five boroughs (Polish: dzielnice). Although they do not exist as public administration units anymore, they remained in use, mainly for statistical and administrative purposes.
The boroughs used to be divided into smaller districts, mainly based on older settlements that were incorporated into the city. The date in the brackets indicates the year the settlement was incorporated into Wrocław.
