Duchy of Poland

Poland, 960 CE–1025. Draft, not yet reviewed

Civitas Schinesghe, commonly referred to in historiography as the Duchy of Poland, was the early medieval polity centered around Gniezno and ruled by the Piast dynasty. It emerged in the 10th century and is considered the predecessor state of the Kingdom of Poland, which was formally established in 1025. In 966, Mieszko I, the ruler of the Polans, accepted Christianity through the auspices of the Roman Church in the Baptism of Poland. In 968, a missionary bishopric was established in Poznań.

Seat of power: Gniezno

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• Before the adoption of Christianity in modern-day Poland, there were a number of different pagan tribes.
• Svetovid was among the most widespread pagan gods worshiped in Poland.
• Mieszko's wife, Dobrawa of Bohemia, is often seen as a major influence on Mieszko's decision to accept Christianity.

Picture

The Baptism of Poland refers to the ceremony when the first ruler of the Polish state, Mieszko I, and much of his court converted to Christianity.

Image: Jan Matejko, Public domain, file

Sources

• Civitas Schinesghe (Wikipedia)
• Duchy of Poland (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.