The Beginnings of Poland

Different Stories Shaping Poland

Kujawy, Pałuki, Krajna, Pomerania – these historical regions played an important role in the early centuries of Polish statehood. The Poles living here also had to fight to preserve their identity during the partitions. Many towns still carry the memory of that history. We would like to share some stories about:

  • The beginnings of the Polish state
  • The Polish–Teutonic War
  • The role of the Carmelite, Franciscan, and Cistercian orders

At the same time, we encourage you to visit these places in person.

Beginnings of the Polish State

Before Poland Existed

The Biskupin settlement, built during the Lusatian culture period, is one of the oldest settlement sites in Europe. It is estimated that the construction of the stronghold was completed in the 8th century BCE. Rising waters of Lake Biskupińskie submerged the site, but when the water level fell in 1933, children from Gąsawa began finding ancient artifacts. A local teacher informed scholars from Poznań, and archaeological research uncovered many artifacts. The settlement was reconstructed as an open-air museum.

The Legendary Capital of Poland

Kruszwica, a small town near Inowrocław, is associated with the legend of the evil ruler Popiel, who was supposedly eaten by mice. Scholars believe he may have been a Viking or a member of the Myszanów settlement. The legends are part of Piast mythology, which is why Kruszwica is often called the legendary capital of Poland.

Today, the most recognizable landmark is the Mouse Tower, but it is actually a remnant of a castle built during the reign of King Kazimierz the Great, not from Popiel’s era.

Ostrów Lednicki – Probable Site of Poland’s Baptism

Poland likely adopted Christianity in 966 through the baptism of Mieszko I, which probably took place on Ostrów Lednicki island. The open-air museum, connected to the island by a ferry, is about 18 km from Gniezno and near the S5 expressway. It includes museum facilities, a reconstructed settlement, and the ruins of Mieszko I’s palatium.

The First King of Poland Crowned in Gniezno

The first King of Poland was Bolesław Chrobry, son of Mieszko I, who was crowned in 1025 (exact date uncertain). The coronation took place in Gniezno Archcathedral, where Polish rulers were crowned until the 14th century. Gniezno is still considered the Christian capital of Poland and is the seat of the Primate of Poland. The cathedral played a key role in 1000 during the Congress of Gniezno attended by Emperor Otto III. It is also the main site of veneration of St. Adalbert (Św. Wojciech), whose relics were stolen by the Czechs.

Romanesque Strzelno

Ostrów Lednicki, Gniezno, and Kruszwica are key stops on the Piast Trail. Between Gniezno and Kruszwica lies Strzelno, rich in Romanesque architecture. Founded in the 12th century by Voivode Piotr Włostowic, it features the St. Procopius Rotunda. In the 13th century, the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Virgin Mary was built nearby, with historic Romanesque columns preserved—a rare style in Europe, alongside the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela and St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice.

Sędziwój of Szubin

In the 14th century, an important figure in the region was Sędziwój Pałuka, later known as Sędziwój of Szubin after founding the town. He had political contacts in Hungary and brought St. Jadwiga, later Queen of Poland, to marry Władysław Jagiełło. Szubin received city rights in 1365.

Following the Orders

Cistercians

The first Cistercian settlement in the region was in Byszewo, founded in 1253 by Duke Kazimierz of Kuyavia. Byszewo even gained town rights briefly, but after a Teutonic invasion in 1288, the Cistercians left, and the settlement reverted to a village. Byszewo is known for the miraculous painting of Our Lady of Byszewo, the Queen of Krajna, which according to legend was hidden in the lake reeds to protect it from the Teutonic Knights.

The Cistercians later founded a new monastery along the Brda River in 1288, known as the Monastery of the Crown of Mary. The surrounding town of Koronowo developed around it. Koronowo played an important role in the Polish–Teutonic War, particularly in the 1410 Battle of Koronowo, just weeks after Grunwald. Medieval chroniclers considered it even more significant than Grunwald, though it remains less known today.

Franciscans and Kuyavian Jerusalem

From the 15th century, European calvaries were built to replicate the Holy Land for pilgrims unable to travel to Jerusalem. Poland’s oldest calvaries date back to the 17th century, including Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Kalwaria Pakoska in Kuyavia, also called Kuyavian Jerusalem. The Pakosz calvary, designed by Fr. Wojciech Kęsicki, was built based on the Dutch monk Andrichomius’s topography of Jerusalem.

Carmelites in Kcynia

Kcynia, founded by knights Jan and Ryner, is one of the oldest towns in the region. Its first church was built in the 11th century. The town flourished in the 16th century as a county seat. In the 17th century, the Carmelites arrived, establishing the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a key site in Kcynia.

Kuyavian Częstochowa

In Markowice, a village near Inowrocław, the Discalced Carmelites built a monastery in the 18th century. The Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Love and Peace of Kuyavia, also called Kuyavian Częstochowa, was constructed in 1710. Its key feature is the statue of the Virgin Mary with Child, brought in 1630 by Brother Bernardin Michał Widzyński and crowned in 1965 by Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The Oblates managed the church until 2013, after which it became a parish church in the Archdiocese of Gniezno.

City Maciej's, Commander at Koronowo

The key commander in the Battle of Koronowo was Maciej of Łabiszyn, then starost of Bydgoszcz and later Inowrocław (important administratively at the time). Łabiszyn received city rights in 1369, founded by Andrzej of Łabiszyn. After the Polish victory, King Władysław Jagiełło stayed there on his way to Inowrocław. The town is uniquely located on an island in the Notec River, now considered a historic part of Łabiszyn.

Death of the Princeps

On November 24, 1223, during a gathering of nobles in Gąsawa, an assassination attempt was made on Prince Leszek the White. He initially escaped toward Gniezno but was mortally wounded in Marcinkowo. The exact instigators remain unknown. This event occurred during Poland’s period of fragmentation, without a king. The office of princeps, the supreme duke, disappeared with his death, further weakening statehood. It was nearly a century later that Władysław Łokietek reunited the kingdom as king.