
L'viv is named after the son Lev of the prince Danylo Romanovyc, which had erected a fortress for the defense against the Mongolians.
The city, that is mentioned authentically for the first time in the year 1256, got the Magdeburger freedom of the city adjuged 1356. Between 1387 and 1772 was L'viv under Polish reign.
After 1772 stood L'viv under the reign of the Habsburger. Within a century changed the province small town into a representative city. L'viv was after Vienna, Budapest and Prague the fourth biggest city of the Habsburger Monarchy.
1918, after the disintegration of the Habsburger Monarchy, L'viv was seat of the West Ukrainian People's Republic.
1919 already conquered Polish troops the city. Now L'viv belonged to Poland together with East Galicia until 1939 again.
In consequence of the Hitler-Stalin-Pact, East Galicia become part of the Soviet Union. Many Jews and also many Polish intellectuals was murdered. After the invasion of the German Troops was L'viv in the time 1941-44 the capital of the German District Galicia.
In L'viv had exist also a Jewish Ghetto. 136.000 Jews from L'viv became victims of the holocaust. This was almost the half of the living people in the city.
After the war began a time of intense building activity and industrialization under leadership of the Soviet. Thousands Ukrainians and Russians from the entire Soviet Union came to L'viv. Today lives more than 800.000 people in L'viv.