Quick and Dirty: Wroclaw, Poland

Wroclaw, Poland 

(Quick & Dirty)

Description:  Wroclaw is the largest city in western Poland and fourth largest overall. It is on the River Oder and only 25 miles from the Sudety Mountains. Historically, Wroclaw was the capital of several countries and was claimed as a city in more than four different countries. It will serve as the European Capital of Culture in 2016 and host the World Cup in 2017.

Wroclaw’s many factories produce land transportation vehicles, as well as, home appliances and electronics. Chemical plants are also present in the city. There are both domestic and foreign companies active in the city, including Bosch, Siemens, Nokia, Volvo, Google, Whirlpool, Getin Holding, Telefonia Dialog, MCI Management, Protam, and EKO Holding. A high-tech sector of the city is drawing in many active corporations active, including IBM, Dong Seo Display, LG, and Toshiba.

Transportation in and around Wroclaw is fairly easy to come by. There are private taxis, bus lines, and nearly two dozen tram lines. The city has a port on the Oder River and the airport is designated as international. Highways quickly connect the city to cities such as Dresden, Germany (2.5 hours) or Nachod, Czech Republic (2 hours).

Population:  632,100 (Bratislava, Slovakia or Syracuse, New York)

Conflict:  Crime in Poland is lower than many of her neighboring countries and continues to decline year over year. The Polish Organized Crime Division was able to break up the major Poland-based gangs and mafias in the 1990s, sending many members to jail. Current organized crime groups in Wroclaw specialize in car theft (with ties to Columbian drug cartels), drug trafficking (amphetamines), and weapon trafficking (including assault rifles). Gun sales are often tied to Russia-based mafias and shipments are sent to countries under embargo with the use of falsified documents. Human trafficking is on the rise in Poland, but the government is very active in passing laws to support stopping this crime. Human trafficking in Poland includes all levels:  moving product in for sales, moving product from Poland out to other countries, and transporting product through the country.

Backdrops: 

1.        Ostrow Tumski:  The oldest part of the city, it once was an island between the branches of the Oder River. The cathedral on the island originates to the 10^th century. Old town has a borough of four temples with a Jewish synagogue, Lutheran church, Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church all near each other on one corner. The Roman Catholic Church has an observation tower where visitors can look out over the other three religious buildings. Visitors uninterested in religious buildings can visit the market.

2.        Sky Tower:  This is the tallest building in Poland, with residences, offices, commercial space, a bowling alley, an oversized Salvador Dali sculpture, and recreation areas. Sky Tower actually consists of seven different buildings of various heights, and a car park. The building is over 200 meters tall and has a viewing area on the 49^th floor. The elevator rises from the ground floor to the top in under 60 seconds.

3.        Botanical Gardens of Wroclaw University:  These gardens were originally established as a place for scientific research. They are still used as such, but today also function as a tourist location. Waterfalls, fountains, bridges, and statues fill the grounds. The gardens fill the northeast corner of the universities property north of the river.

Three Hooks:

1.        Clear Protection:  Clear Protection was purchased by a member of the Conspiracy soon after filing a patent for a new type of glass that will block all AVA and AVB light. Production of the glass only started this year and someone in Sky Tower has paid for their suite to have these windows installed.

2.        Banking:  Wroclaw is home to the highest number of debt collecting and leasing companies in the country of Poland. This means there is also a high number of financial and accounting institutions in the city. The number of financial organizations in town means it is easy for the Conspiracy to collect the money on-site when trafficking goods into Germany and the Czech Republic. Due to the amount of money in Wroclaw, the Conspiracy has several teams of gun thugs situated around town. Agents attempting to track down money sources or relieve the Conspiracy of funding may soon find themselves in a thriller car chase. Lucky for the Agents, there are plenty of highways in Wroclaw, some even cross the Oder River.

3.        SCIENCE!:  Dr. Adek Stelmach is a botanist specializing in phytochemistry and plant systematics and is employed at Wroclaw University. Dr. Stelmach has received funding from a private donor to produce plants with a genetic code sequence that more resembles plants from pre-industrial age Eastern Europe. The private donor may be a member of the Conspiracy looking for a mega powerful form of aconitum lycoctonum, a fellow hunter trying to find a new old way to slay vampires, or a movie producer looking for a movie gimmick tie-in.