Isn’t it amazing how a place can transform over centuries? We are standing in Kępa Gocławska. It is now a part of Warsaw’s Praga-Południe district. Kępa Gocławska has a history stretching back to the 17th century.
Back then Gocław and Kępa Gocławska together had only 16 houses around 1775. Until the late 18th century this land was part of the Kamionek estate. It belonged to the bishops of Płock. King Stanisław August Poniatowski bought it in 1780. Later it became the property of his nephew Prince Stanisław Poniatowski.
After 1795 Kępa Gocławska became property of the state treasury. The area remained largely uninhabited. This was because the Vistula River frequently flooded. One notable flood occurred in 1909. In 1912 only about 25 people lived here.
However things changed in April 1916. General Governor Hans Hartwig von Beseler issued an order. It incorporated Kępa Gocławska into Warsaw. At the time it was part of the Wawer commune.
Between 1969 and 1974 the Kępa Gocławska estate was built. It was designed by A. Stefański. The estate covers approximately 14 hectares. It features buildings ranging from 5 to 11 stories high. The streets Saska Egipska and al. Stanów Zjednoczonych mark its boundaries.
The construction of these large apartment blocks changed the social structure of Saska Kępa. The term “Chamowo” emerged. It expressed the disapproval of established residents towards this new situation. Miron Białoszewski a resident of Kępa Gocławska immortalized this term in his work.
Kępa Gocławska also refers to a part of the flood terrace on the Vistula’s right bank. It lies between Lake Gocławskie and Łacha Koło. It was formerly known as Kępa Wiślana. A fragment of Gocław Airport is within its bounds. As are the southern part of Saska Kępa and the northern part of the Las estate.
So Kępa Gocławska has transformed from sparse settlement. It was a flood-prone area to a vital part of Warsaw. It shows how the city evolved.