 The city was briefly besieged by Russian troops in November 1914.Austrian rule in Kraków ended in 1918 when the Polish Liquidation Committee assumed power.With the emergence of the Second Polish Republic, Kraków resumed its role as a major academic and cultural centre, with the establishment of new universities such as the AGH University of Science and Technology and the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, including a number of new and essential vocational schools.