Free City of Krakow

The Free City of Kraków, also known as the Republic of Kraków, was a nominally independent city-state that existed from 1815 to 1846. Established by the Congress of Vienna, it comprised the Polish city of Kraków and its surrounding district, using territory from the former Duchy of Warsaw. Although formally autonomous, it was jointly overseen by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and served as a center for Polish independence movements. The population was predominantly Polish-speaking and overwhelmingly Catholic. Following the failed Kraków Uprising in 1846, Austria unilaterally annexed the city-state.