Did you know Mańki-Wojdy wasn’t always part of Warsaw? Once upon a time, Mańki-Wojdy was two distinct villages. They were Mańki and Wojdy. Today, we’ll explore how these two separate entities merged. They became a single neighborhood within the bustling city.
Mańki-Wojdy is located in the Białołęka district. It sits in the northeastern part of Warsaw. To understand its story, we must journey back in time. We need to understand the landscape before modern Warsaw engulfed it.
Imagine two small villages. Mańki nestled along the road from Warsaw to Nieporęt. This road is likely today’s Ostródzka Street. Wojdy lay to the east. It was a bit further northeast. Ancient maps reveal their positions. Mańki was west of the Długa River. This is now known as the Markowski Canal. Wojdy sat on the eastern side. It stretched further northeast.
Over time, these villages began to merge in the local perception. People started thinking of them as one entity. Hence, the name Mańki-Wojdy emerged. But the story takes a curious turn. Later, a new village sprung up between the two original settlements. This was Augustówek. It created an odd situation. One village was divided by the buildings of another.
If you look closely at a detailed map, Mańki stretched along today’s Ostródzka Street. It ran between Zdziarska Street and the Markowski Canal. A smaller eastern part of Mańki rested southeast of Olesin. It ran along Wojdyńska Street. It was south of Stumilowy Las Street. Wojdy, on the other hand, was east of the canal. It snuggled along Mańkowska Street. It stretched west of Ruskowy Bród Street and Bociani Zakątek Square.
In 1977, a significant change occurred. Mańki-Wojdy and Augustówek were annexed into Warsaw. They joined other neighboring villages. But the odd layout persisted. North of Zdziarska Street, you still find Mańki-Wojdy, then Augustówek, then Mańki-Wojdy again. The eastern buildings of the neighborhood sit along Warsaw’s border. To the north, they border Ruskowy Bród and Olesin. Augustówek lies to the south.
So, as you wander through Mańki-Wojdy today, remember its origins. Two villages. A merging identity. An interloping neighbor. All these elements shaped this unique part of Warsaw.