Born Vojtěch of Slavník, St Adalbert served as bishop of Prague until he came to Poland from the court of Emperor Otto III as a missionary, and eventual martyr. On 23 April 997, this first Slavic saint was killed during the conversion of the Prussians to the Christian faith. by Piotr Bejrowski He was born…
In March 1000, an extraordinary event took place. The Holy Roman Emperor Otton III visited Gniezno, the then capital of the Polish state. The official aim of the visit to the state ruled by Bolesław Chrobry, was a pilgrimage to the grave of Saint Adalbert. by Piotr Bejrowski In the mid 10th century, under…
Until recently, it was believed that Mieszko I, Poland’s first ruler, had minted the kingdom’s first coin, however, this claim has since been refuted. Mieszko’s denarius was indeed minted by a Mieszko, although in fact it was Mieszko II, the grandson of the founder of the Polish state. by Wojciech Kalwat If we are…
In historiography and literary tradition, he is commonly referred to as Gallus and was the first chronicler of the history of Poland. The dispute over the identity of this mysterious and talented monk has occupied scholars for several generations. by Piotr Abryszeński All that we know about him is what he wrote about himself….
There is no doubt that the newcomers from Scandinavia did not found Poland. For the state ruled by the Piast dynasty was established before they reached the region of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland), Mazowsze (Mazovia) or Kujawy (Kuyavia), i.e. its cradle. Although the links between the Piasts and the Vikings are sometimes overestimated, this does not…
