Gdansk Old Town or Gdańsk Stare Miasto is a historic quarter located on the banks of the Nowa Motława Canal. Gdańsk was always an important town in this part of Poland, as the families of the lords who ruled the Pomeranian Voivodeship lived here. Długi Targ and Długa Street was the life-line of the Old Town because most of the historic buildings are located here. The buildings that can be seen here were mostly built from the 16th to the 19th century, although many were built on the foundations of buildings that were erected in the 14th and earlier centuries. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed during World War II but were thoroughly restored to their previous condition according to pre-war photographs.