 It began as a hamlet on Wawel Hill and was already being reported as a busy trading centre of Central Europe in 965.With the establishment of new universities and cultural venues at the emergence of the Second Polish Republic in 1918 and throughout the 20th century, Kraków reaffirmed its role as a major national academic and artistic centre.The city has a population of about 770,000, with approximately 8 million additional people living within a radius of its main square.