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100-562: The territory became part of the emerging Polish state under its first historic ruler Mieszko I in the 10th century. Following the fragmentation of Poland, Wschowa initially formed part of the Duchy of Greater Poland , and was mentioned in the Bull of Gniezno from 1136. Later on, Wschowa was a border fortress in a region disputed by the Polish dukes of Silesia and Greater Poland. The Old Polish name Veschow

200-700: A Christian Poland. On his death, he left to his son and successor, Bolesław I the Brave , a country with greatly expanded territories and a well-established position in Europe. Mieszko I also enigmatically appeared as "Dagome" in a papal document dating to about 1085, called Dagome iudex , which mentions a gift or dedication of Mieszko's land to the Pope almost a hundred years earlier. The term possibly refers to Mieszko's adopted Christian name, Dagobert , which often features in historical writing. Most sources also identify Mieszko I as

300-636: A Slavic land, which "together they wholly devastated (...) with fire and tremendous depopulation". It is not clear which Slavic territory was invaded. Perhaps another raid against the Polabians took place. However, there are indications that it was an expedition against the Czechs, Mieszko's first against his southern neighbors. Possibly on this occasion the Duke of the Polans accomplished the most significant expansion of his state,

400-440: A document called Dagome iudex , where the Polish ruler placed his lands under the protection of the pope and described their borders. Only a later imprecise summary of the document has been preserved. There are two main theories concerning reasons behind the issuing of Dagome iudex : Dagome iudex is of capital importance for Polish history because it gives a general description of the Polish state's geographical location at

500-501: A hostage. Mieszko's conflict with Odo I was a surprising event because, according to Thietmar, Mieszko respected the Margrave highly. Thietmar wrote that "Mieszko would never wear his outdoor garment in a house where Odo was present, or remain seated after Odo had gotten up." It is believed that in practical terms the victory at Cedynia sealed Western Pomerania 's fate as Mieszko's dependency. According to archaeological research, during

600-603: A joint army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , Saxony and Russia . The 6th Polish Infantry Regiment was stationed in the town. In the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, the town was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia and incorporated into the province of South Prussia . After the successful Greater Poland uprising of 1806 , it was regained by Poles and included within the Duchy of Warsaw , according to

700-734: A member of the Polish Democratic Society . He had been wounded by a gunshot, when the Prussian gendarme attempting to arrest him, engaged in a fight with him. Babiński was then captured, sentenced to death and executed in Posen. His public execution in February 1847 was accompanied by public mourning. Cloth soaked in his blood and other remains were distributed as national relics . Large prayers were held in his memory, often against orders of Prussia. Members of such gatherings were persecuted by police. At

800-647: A radical expansion of the fortifications at Gniezno and Ostrów Lednicki , which may be associated with the Polish-German war, or the expectation of such. The duration of the expedition suggests that it may have reached as far east as the vicinity of Poznań . The Polish-German agreement was concluded in the spring or possibly summer of 980, because in November of that year Otto II left his country and went to Italy . It appears that during this time Mieszko I married Oda , daughter of Dietrich of Haldensleben , Margrave of

900-409: A result, in 965 Mieszko married his daughter Dobrawa (also named Dobrava , Doubravka or Dąbrówka ). This political Polish-Bohemian alliance is likely to have been initiated by the Polish ruler. It is probable that the marriage was officially arranged in February 965. The next step was the baptism of Mieszko. There are different hypotheses concerning this event. Most often it is assumed that it

1000-494: A secret Polish student organization named after poet Tomasz Zan was established, whose activities allowed the Polish language to survive in the town, despite the enforced policy of Germanization . According to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles , Fraustadt remained a part of Germany as it had a majority of German citizens and formed the southernmost district of the Posen-West Prussia border province till 1 October 1938, when

1100-485: A similar level of economic and general development, they were socially connected primarily by tribal structures. It appears that the elders cooperating with the Duke first felt the need for super-tribal unity, as expansion allowed them to broaden their influence. Mieszko and his people were described around 966 by Abraham ben Jacob , a Sephardi Jewish traveller, who at that time visited the Prague court of Duke Boleslaus I

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1200-570: Is Thietmar's claim that Mieszko "subordinated himself to the King". Most historians believe that it was only a matter of recognition of Otto's royal authority. Some suggest that a fealty relationship could have been involved. Whether or not the German-Polish invasion of Bohemia actually happened, the friendly relations between the Czechs and the Poles came to an end. Bohemia resumed its earlier alliance with

1300-566: Is suspected that the Emperor did not succeed. Due to bad weather, the Emperor was back at the border of Thuringia and Saxony in December of that year. It is uncertain whether the invasion actually took place. The chronicle only stated that it was an expedition "against the Slavs". Archaeological discoveries appear to support the thesis of Otto's invasion. In the last quarter of the 10th century there had been

1400-517: The Dagome iudex document, though its origin is uncertain. Historians speculate that it was derived from Mieszko's adopted Christian name Dagobert or an abbreviation of the two names – "Dago" for Dagobert and "me" for Mieszko. Mieszko I took over the rule after his father's death c.  950 –960, probably closer to the latter date. Due to the lack of sources it is not possible to determine exactly which lands he inherited. Certainly among them were

1500-608: The Czech language and had to come from Dobrawa's entourage and the church elements that arrived with her. Perhaps with her also came the first Polish bishop, Jordan . It could be that the reason for the Czech preference of Mieszko was the existence in Bohemia of a mission which followed the precepts of the Byzantine Greek brothers and later saints Cyril and Methodius , who developed and performed

1600-775: The Ecclesiastical Province of Gnesen-Posen led by the Primate of Poland , a Roman Catholic jurisdiction formed in 1821 by merging the archdiocese of Gniezno and Poznań . The bulk of the Lutheran and Reformed (Calvinist) congregations became part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Posen within the Evangelical Church in Prussia after 1817, with the congregations usually retaining their previous separate confessions. With

1700-620: The Holy Roman Empire . Mieszko's alliance with the Czech prince Boleslaus the Cruel was strengthened by his marriage in 965 to the Přemyslid princess Dobrawa , who is said to have brought the Christian faith. Mieszko's baptism in 966 placed him and his country in the cultural sphere of Western Christianity ; he is sometimes called the " Clovis of Poland" for his role in laying the foundations for

1800-625: The Kingdom of Prussia during the Partitions of Poland ; during the first partition (1772), Prussia took just the Netze District , the portion along the Noteć (German: Netze ) river. Prussia added the remainder during the second partition in 1793. Prussia briefly lost control during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. It was initially administered as the province of South Prussia . The Poles were

1900-468: The Northern March , after abducting her from the monastery of Kalbe . Chronicler Thietmar described the event as follows: Although Thietmar made no mention of warfare that possibly took place on this occasion, the information on the return of the accord, acting for the good of the country and release of prisoners indicate that a conflict actually did occur. The marriage with Oda considerably affected

2000-617: The Polish Sidecarcross Grand Prix . See twin towns of Gmina Wschowa . Mieszko I Mieszko I ( Polish pronunciation: [ˈmjɛʂkɔ ˈpjɛrfʂɨ] ; c.  930 – 25 May 992) was Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified Polish state , the Civitas Schinesghe . A member of the Piast dynasty , he was the first Christian ruler of Poland and continued

2100-523: The Potsdam Agreement . The town became again part of Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the 1980s. Initially the town was part of Okręg III (comprising present West Pomeranian and Lubusz provinces) between 1945 and 1946. German monuments were removed from the town by the new authorities, including the Protestant cemetery. Also, in 1968, the remains of

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2200-643: The Poznań Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province . In 1345, the town was attacked by the dukes of Głogów. In 1365, the wedding of King Casimir III and Hedwig of Żagań was held in Wschowa. The coat of arms contains the double cross of the Jagiellonian dynasty . A municipal school was founded in 1404. In 1456, a Bernardines monastery was established. In 1512, a conference took place in Wschowa with

2300-652: The Rurik Dynasty "went towards the Lachy and took their towns: Przemyśl, Czerwień and other strongholds (...)". The exact interpretation of this passage is uncertain, because the Ruthenian word "Lachy" meant both the Poles in general and the southeastern Lendians. Mieszko's conquest of Sandomierz could also have taken place later, together with the takeover of the Vistulans (western and central Lesser Poland ). However, Widukind in

2400-604: The Thirty Years' War . In the 1630s, starost Hieronim Radomicki  [ pl ] founded the New Town for the refugees to the north of Wschowa. In the 17th century, Italian Niccolo Bacaralli established in Wschowa the first paint manufacture in Poland. In the 18th century kings Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III of Poland often resided in Wschowa and the town was even called

2500-565: The Treaty of Tilsit . Jakob Walter , a Napoleonic soldier claimed to have passed through the town in 1806. He claims the town was used as a garrison and had 99 windmills. Re-annexed by Prussia and made part of the initially semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Posen (Poznań) from 1815 on, the town was again incorporated into the Prussian Province of Posen in 1848. In 1890, the town had a population of 6,873, of which 500 (7.3%) were Poles . In 1894,

2600-563: The "unofficial capital of Poland". The Royal Castle hosted meetings of Polish kings with foreign delegations and even sessions of the Senate of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were held in Wschowa. In 1737 a concordat between the Holy See and Poland was signed in Wschowa. The Battle of Fraustadt occurred on February 3, 1706, during the Great Northern War , when Swedish forces defeated

2700-531: The (presumably) negative verdict of the Quedlinburg summit, but, more importantly, he may have wanted more favorable terms for his cooperation with Germany. The participation of Mieszko in the conspiracy against Otto II was documented in only one source, the chronicles of the monastery in Altaich in its entry for the year 974. The Duke of Bavaria was defeated, and Emperor Otto II regained full power. Shortly afterwards,

2800-511: The 10th century mentions Mieszko ruled over the Sclavi tribe of Licicaviki , which is identified with the Lendians. Some historians suggest that the regions of Sandomierz, Lublin and Czerwień (western Red Ruthenia ) were indeed annexed by Mieszko's state in the 970s, as lands valuable for trade reasons and as a starting point for a future attack against what was to become Lesser Poland, then in

2900-734: The 970s the Sandomierz region and the Przemyśl area inhabited by the Lendians became incorporated into the Polish state. None of it is certain for the lack of written sources. It is possible that especially the Przemyśl area, also inhabited the White Croats , belonged at that time to Bohemia, which supposedly extended up to the Bug River and Styr River . The Primary Chronicle states that in 981 Vladimir of

3000-570: The Cruel . Abraham presented Mieszko I as one of the four Slavic "kings", reigning over a vast "northern" area, with a highly regarded and substantial military force at his disposal. More precise contemporary records regarding Mieszko were compiled by Widukind of Corvey , and, half a century later, by Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg . By the time Mieszko I took over from his father, the Polans ' tribal federation of Greater Poland had for some time been actively expanding. Continuing this process, perhaps in

3100-593: The Danish King Harald Bluetooth and his son Sweyn . They may have acted in cooperation with the Wolinian autonomous entity. The Danish were defeated c. 991 and their ruler was expelled. The dynastic alliance with Sweden had probably affected the equipment and composition of Mieszko's troops. Perhaps at that time the Varangian warriors were recruited; their presence is indicated by archaeological excavations in

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3200-517: The Diet of Quedlinburg ] also, among many other princes: Mieszko, Mściwoj and Boleslaus and promised to support him under oath as the king and ruler". In 984 the Czechs took over Meissen , but in the same year Henry II gave up his pretension to the German throne. The role played by Mieszko I in the subsequent struggles is unclear because the contemporary sources are scarce and not in agreement. Probably in 985

3300-638: The Emperor (for the lands) up the Warta river." There are different hypotheses concerning the reasons for this invasion. Possibly Margrave Odo wanted to stop the growing power of the Polish state. Very likely Odo wanted to protect the Wolinian state, which he considered his zone of influence, from the Polish take-over. Possibly the Wolinians themselves called the Margrave and asked his help. In any event, Odo's forces moved in and on 24 June 972 twice engaged Mieszko's army at

3400-574: The German Church is incorrect , because Bohemia would not have its own church organization until 973. At the time of the baptism of Mieszko the existing Bohemian church establishment was a part of the Regensburg diocese. Thus, if the Polish ruler accepted the baptism through Prague's mediation, it had to be sanctioned in Regensburg. However, the religious vocabulary (words like baptism, sermon, prayer, church, apostle, bishop or confirmation) were adopted from

3500-531: The German Church. The thesis that proposes the introduction of Catholicism as a result of this war finds no confirmation in German sources. The homage is then a separate issue, since, according to the chronicle of Thietmar, Mieszko actually paid tribute to the Emperor from the lands usque in Vurta fluvium (up to the Warta River). In all probability Mieszko decided to pay tribute in order to avoid an invasion similar to

3600-635: The Grand Duchy also received a provincial council (term started in 1827) but with little administrative power, limited to providing advice. In 1817, the Culmerland ( Chełmno Land ) was moved to West Prussia . From the 1820s, the grand duchy had a parliament, the Sejm of the Grand Duchy of Posen . Today much of the territory lies within the Greater Poland and Kuyavian–Pomeranian voivodeships. Population: Since in

3700-498: The Grand Duchy. Count Edward Raczyński , in the name of all Polish members of the Grand Duchy Sejm (parliament), issued a complaint against the repression and discrimination of the Polish population which went against guarantees made in 1815. He accused the Prussian authorities of removing the Polish language from public institutions, courts and schools, as well as deleting the history of Poland from school teaching and substituting

3800-558: The Imperial Diet in Quedlinburg in 973 to explain and justify their conduct. The exact judgment of the Emperor is unknown, but it is certain that the sentence was not carried out because he died a few weeks after the Diet. It is commonly assumed that the sentence was unfavorable to the Polish ruler. The Annals of Altaich indicates that Mieszko was not present in Quedlinburg during the gathering; instead, he had to send his son Bolesław as

3900-502: The Jews of the grand duchy were excluded from citizens franchise, but like women and non-propertied classes mere subjects of the grand duke. Only Christian men, if owning land, were enfranchised as citizens. Whereas Christians had freedom of moving from the grand duchy to Prussia proper, the grand duchy's Jews were forbidden to immigrate into Prussia. Prussian policy, however, opened an exception, Germanized Jews were enfranchised as citizens and granted freedom of movement. So most adherents of

4000-420: The Lutici, which, in 990, resulted in a war with Mieszko, who was supported by Empress Theophanu . Duke Boleslaus II was probably the first one to attack. As a result of the conflict Silesia was taken over by Poland. However, the annexation of Silesia possibly took place around 985, because during this year the major Piast strongholds in Wrocław , Opole and Głogów were already being built. The issue of

4100-418: The Polabian Lusatian and Słupian tribes, and as a result came into direct contact with the Polish state. At the same time (about 960) Mieszko I began his expansion against the Velunzani and Lutici tribes. The war was recorded by the traveller Abraham ben Jacob . According to him, Mieszko I had fought against the Weltaba tribe, commonly identified with the Veleti. Wichmann the Younger , a Saxon nobleman who

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4200-451: The Polabians. One year later, the Polish ruler had a personal meeting with the Emperor, an event mentioned in the Annals of Hersfeld , which reported that "Otto the boy-king ravaged Bohemia, but received Mieszko who arrived with gifts". According to Thietmar and other contemporary chronicles the gift given by Mieszko to the Emperor was a camel. The meeting cemented the Polish-German alliance, with Mieszko joining Otto's expedition against

4300-458: The Polish duke sought salvation in baptism, as soon as they regained their strength, they repudiated the Christian faith and started the war against Christian anew". In 972 Poland was attacked by Odo I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark . According to the chronicles of Thietmar, Odo acted unilaterally, without the Emperor's consent: "Meanwhile, the noble Margrave Hodo, having collected his army attacked Mieszko, who has been faithfully paying tribute to

4400-451: The Polish ruler ended his support for the Bavarian duke and moved to the side of the Emperor. It is believed that Mieszko's motivation was the threat posed to his interests by the Polabian Slavs uprising. The upheaval was a problem for both Poland and Germany, but not for Bohemia. In the Chronicle of Hildesheim , in the entry for the year 985 it is noted that Mieszko came to help the Saxons in their fight against some Slavic forces, presumably

4500-426: The Pope. Still other motives were responsible according to Gallus Anonymus , who claimed that it was Dobrawa who convinced her husband to change his religion. Likewise chronicler Thietmar attributes Mieszko's conversion to Dobrawa's influence. There are no reasons to negate Dobrawa's role in Mieszko's acceptance of Roman Catholicism; however, crediting rulers' wives with positive influence over their husbands' actions

4600-438: The Prussian administration under Oberpräsident Eduard Flottwell known for his anti-Polonism introduced a stricter system of repression against the Poles. Prussian authorities attempted to expel Poles from administration to weaken the Polish nobility by buying its lands out, and, after 1832, the role of the Polish language in education was significantly repressed. Local self-government in the landed estates of land-lords, which

4700-479: The Russian Czar. From the remainder the Grand Duchy of Posen was created with the city of Posen as the administrative centre and the seat of the Statthalter Prince Antoni Henryk Radziwiłł . In reality the governing power over the region lay with the provincial upper-president Joseph Zerboni di Sposetti . At the beginning of the Prussian takeover of Polish territories, the discrimination and repression of Poles consisted of reducing their access to education and

4800-411: The Yiddish culture Germanized themselves within a short period. Many traditional or newly established German language educational institutions were attended by local Jews who, equipped with Prussian education and German language skills, often emigrated to Prussia proper with some making their careers. Despite Germanization efforts, the Polish speaking population more than doubled to 1,344,000 and remained

4900-399: The Younger. Other sources make no mention of such conquest and of putting the Polans state on the same footing with the Polabian Slavs. On the other hand, the supporters of the Gero's invasion theory believe that the Margrave did actually carry out a successful invasion, as a result of which Mieszko I was forced to pay tribute to the Emperor and also was compelled to adopt Catholicism through

5000-424: The areas inhabited by the Polans and Goplans , as well as the Sieradz - Łęczyca lands and Kuyavia . It is possible that this state included also Masovia and Gdańsk Pomerania . Soon the new ruler faced the task of integrating the relatively large, ethnically and culturally heterogeneous territory. Although the residents of areas controlled by Mieszko spoke mostly one language, had similar beliefs and reached

5100-403: The baptism" in Poland. The above information, as well as the fact that Bolesław lost Western Pomerania, suggest that the region was not truly incorporated into the Polish state, but only became a fief . This conjecture seems to be confirmed in the introduction of the first volume of the chronicles of Gallus Anonymus concerning the Pomeranians: "Although often the leaders of the forces defeated by

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5200-447: The basis of the chronicle of Cosmas of Prague , believe that the conquest of the lands around the lower Vistula River took place after Mieszko's death, specifically in 999. There is also a theory according to which during this transition period Lesser Poland was governed by Bolesław, whose authority was granted to him by the Bohemian duke. At the end of his life (c. 991–992), Mieszko I, together with his wife Oda and their sons, issued

5300-428: The battle, a testimony to Mieszko's high standing among the Empire's dignitaries, just one year after his baptism: Widukind of Corvey reported that the dying Wichmann asked Mieszko to hand over Wichmann's weapons to Emperor Otto I, to whom Wichmann was related. For Mieszko the victory had to be a satisfying experience, especially in light of his past defeats inflicted by Wichmann. The exact result of Mieszko's fighting in

5400-523: The complaint; he was fully supportive of the Germanisation of Polish areas. However, he believed it had to be done through different methods, and in May 1841 decided to name Flottwell upper-president of the Prussian Province of Saxony , which included large territories annexed from the Kingdom of Saxony in 1815. Before 1848, repressions intensified in the Grand Duchy, censorship was strengthened, settlers of German ethnicity were brought in. Large patriotic demonstrations were held in memory of Antoni Babiński,

5500-466: The conspiracy organisation called Związek Plebejuszy found a potent ground. It was led by bookseller Walenty Stefański, poet Ryszard Berwiński and lawyer Jakub Krauthofer-Krotowski. During the Revolutions of 1848 , the Frankfurt Parliament attempted to divide the grand duchy into two parts: the Province of Posen, which would have been annexed into an united Germany , and the Province of Gniezno , which would have remained outside Germany, but because of

5600-402: The date of his birth as somewhere between the years 920–931 (depending on the version of the manuscript); however, modern researchers do not recognize the chronicle as a reliable source. Several historians on the basis of their investigations postulated the date of Mieszko's birth to have been between 922–945; the activity of the Duke in his final years of life puts the date of his birth closer to

5700-406: The decisive battle against the Wolinians led by Wichmann the Younger , which gave Mieszko control over the mouth of the Odra River. The German margraves had not opposed Mieszko's activities in Pomerania, perhaps even supported them; the death of the rebellious Wichmann, who succumbed to his wounds soon after the battle, may have been in line with their interests. A telling incident took place after

5800-411: The end of Mieszko's reign. Grand Duchy of Posen The Grand Duchy of Posen ( German : Großherzogtum Posen ; Polish : Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie ) was part of the Kingdom of Prussia , created from territories annexed by Prussia after the Partitions of Poland , and formally established following the Congress of Vienna in 1815. On 9 February 1849, the Prussian administration renamed

5900-420: The father of Sigrid the Haughty , a Scandinavian queen, the grandfather of Canute the Great and the great-grandfather of Gunhilda of Denmark , Canute the Great 's daughter and wife of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor . It is roughly to his borders that Poland was returned in 1945. There is no certain information on Mieszko's life before he took control over his lands. Only the Lesser Poland Chronicle gives

6000-412: The first half of the 19th century there was no census or other statistics also recording the ethnic identities of the inhabitants of the grand duchy its ethnic composition can only be derived from its religious makeup then recorded in the census. By 1815 in the grand duchy Catholics were by majority Polish-speaking, most Protestants were native speakers of German and many Jews then spoke Yiddish. Based on

6100-428: The first years of Mieszko's reign, if it had not been done already by his father, Mieszko I conquered Masovia . Likely also during that period or earlier, at least part of Gdańsk Pomerania was obtained. Mieszko's interests were then concentrated mainly on areas occupied by the eastern ( i.e. , near the Oder River ) branches of the Polabian Slavs . In 963 Margrave Gero of Meissen conquered territories occupied by

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6200-413: The former German-Jewish cemetery were destroyed. Later, Wschowa was a county (powiat) center in Poznan Voivodeship between 1946 and 1950, then in Zielona Gora Voivodeship between 1950 and 1975. It was finally a commune (gmina) center in Leszno Voivodeship between 1975 and 1999 before the creation of Lubusz province. It became again a county center after 24 years. Wschowa hosted the 2010 edition of

6300-410: The government tolerated Judaism, but did not recognise it, no Jewish umbrella organisation, comparable to those of the Christian denominations or the former Council of Four Lands , forbidden in 1764, did emerge in the grand duchy. The migration of Posen Jews to Prussia was mostly blocked until 1850, when they were finally naturalised. The monarch of the grand duchy, with title of Grand Duke of Posen,

6400-426: The grand duchy the Province of Posen . Its former name was unofficially used afterward for denoting the territory, especially by Poles , and today is used by modern historians to refer to different political entities until 1918. Its capital was Posen (Polish: Poznań ). Originally part of the Kingdom of Poland , this area largely coincided with Greater Poland . The eastern portions of the territory were taken by

6500-453: The hands of Bohemia. Sandomierz under this scenario was the central hub of the area, with Czerwień, Przemyśl and Chełm assuming the function of defensive borderland strongholds. After the death of Emperor Otto I in 973 Mieszko, like his brother-in-law, Duke Boleslaus II of Bohemia , joined the German opposition in support of the attempted imperial succession of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria . Mieszko may have been motivated by revenge because of

6600-434: The incorporation of Lesser Poland is also not completely resolved. Possibly Mieszko took the region before 990, which is indicated by the vague remark of Thietmar, who wrote of a country taken by Mieszko from Boleslaus. In light of this theory, the conquest of Lesser Poland could be a reason for the war, or its first stage. Many historians suggested that the Czech rule over Lesser Poland was only nominal and likely limited to

6700-433: The indirect control of Kraków and perhaps a few other important centers. This theory is based on the lack of archaeological discoveries, which would indicate major building investments undertaken by the Bohemian state. After its incorporation, Lesser Poland supposedly became the part of the country assigned to Mieszko's oldest son, Bolesław , which is indirectly indicated in the chronicle of Thietmar. Some historians, on

6800-402: The influential pagan priest class, which may have been blocking his efforts to establish a more centralized rule. A different hypothesis is linked with the above-mentioned acceptance of the veracity of Gero's invasion of Poland. According to it, it was the attack of the Margrave that forced the Catholicization, which was to be an act of subordination to the Emperor, done without the mediation of

6900-463: The information regarding the attack of Margrave Gero on the Slavic tribes, as a result of which he purportedly "subordinated to the authority of the Emperor Lusatia and the Selpuli [ viz. , the Słupian tribes] and also Mieszko with his subjects". According to the majority of modern historians, Thietmar made an error summarizing the chronicle of Widukind, placing the Gero raid there instead of the fighting that Mieszko conducted at that time against Wichmann

7000-423: The judicial system. Prussian officials identified Germanisation as the progress of higher culture over a lower one. As a result, the local administration discriminated against Poles. After 1824 attempts to Germanise the school system were hastened and the government refused to establish a Polish university in Posen. Polish politicians issued protests against Prussian policies and a secret, patriotic Polish organisation

7100-415: The latter year. Mieszko's name has traditionally been thought to be a diminutive of Mieczysław but this is refuted by the majority of modern historians. According to a legend first described by Gallus Anonymus , Mieszko was blind during his first seven years of life. This typical medieval allegory referred to his paganism rather than an actual disability. Another name of Mieszko, "Dagome", appears in

7200-571: The liturgy in the Slavic rite, more readily understood by Mieszko and his subjects. The Slavic rite church branch had survived in Bohemia for another hundred years after Mieszko's baptism. After the normalization of relations with the Holy Roman Empire and Bohemia, Mieszko I returned to his plans to conquer the western part of Pomerania . On 21 September 967 the Polish-Bohemian troops prevailed in

7300-455: The majority, however, its percentage decreased to 64% of the population by 1910. However, there were regional differences, with Polish being the prevalent language in central, eastern and southern Posen, and German speakers constituted majorities in the north and west. According to contemporary statistics of 1825 the population consisted of the 65.6% Roman Catholics, 28.1% Protestants and 6.3% Jews. The Roman Catholic congregations formed part of

7400-499: The name "Province of Posen" for the previous "Grand Duchy of Posen". He also blamed the authorities for erasing the Polish Eagle from the Grand Duchy's seals and emblems and for expelling Poles from offices in order to replace them with Prussians or foreign-born persons of German ethnicity. When land owners of Polish ethnicity sold land, it was often bought in order to resell it to colonists of German ethnicity. The Prussian king rejected

7500-575: The one that Lusatia had suffered. This homage would take place in 965, or in 966 at the latest. Very likely the tribute applied only to the Lubusz land, which was in the German sphere of influence. This understanding of the tribute issue explains why already in 967 Mieszko I was described in the Saxon chronicles as the Emperor's friend (or ally, supporter, Latin : amicus imperatoris ). Probably in 964 Mieszko began negotiations with Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia . As

7600-525: The participation of representatives of Poland, Bohemia , Saxony , the Duchy of Pomerania and large Polish cities such as Kraków , Poznań and Gdańsk over an ongoing trade conflict with the city of Wrocław . Since the mid-16th century, Wschowa was one of the centres of the Protestant Reformation in Poland. In the early 17th century, a new Latin school was founded. Wschowa was a retreat for religious refugees from adjacent Lower Silesia during

7700-481: The persisting resistance of some Lutherans against the administrative Prussian Union of churches , the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Prussia emerged in 1841. It was recognized by the government in 1845, with about 3,000 Old Lutherans in several congregations spread across the area of the grand duchy. Jewish religious life was organised in about 130 congregations spread all over the grand duchy. Since

7800-537: The policies of both his father Siemomysł and grandfather Lestek , who initiated a process of unification among the Polish tribes and the creation of statehood. According to existing sources, Mieszko I was a potent politician, a talented military leader and a charismatic ruler. Through both alliances and military force, he extended ongoing Polish conquests and early in his reign subjugated Kuyavia and likely Gdańsk Pomerania and Masovia . For most of his reign, Mieszko I

7900-445: The position and prestige of Mieszko, who entered the world of Saxon aristocracy. As a son-in-law of Margrave Dietrich, he gained an ally in one of the most influential politicians of the Holy Roman Empire. As the Margrave was a distant relative of the Emperor, Mieszko became a member of the circle connected to the imperial ruling house . Probably in the early 980s Mieszko allied his country with Sweden against Denmark . The alliance

8000-600: The primary ally of Napoleon Bonaparte in Central Europe, participating in the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806 and supplying troops for his campaigns. After the defeat of Prussia by Napoleonic France , the Duchy of Warsaw was created by the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807. Following the Congress of Vienna , portions of the Prussia's Polish territories were ceded to Congress Poland , a kingdom ruled in personal union by

8100-643: The protest of Polish parliamentarians these plans failed and the integrity of the grand duchy was preserved. However, on February 9, 1849, after a series of broken assurances, the Prussian administration renamed the grand duchy the Province of Posen . Nevertheless, the territory remained outside of the German Confederation until its dissolution and but was incorporated into the North German Confederation upon its foundation. The Prussian kings retained

8200-524: The province was dissolved. It became a district center in the Province of Silesia till 1941, from 1941 to 1945 in the Province of Lower Silesia . Fraustadt was one of the few areas within pre-war Germany attacked by the Polish military during the German invasion of Poland at the start of World War II in 1939. The town was occupied by the Red Army in February 1945. After the capitulation of Germany, remaining inhabitants were expelled in accordance with

8300-547: The religious data it was estimated that in 1815 ethnic Poles made up about 657,000 persons (or 73% of the overall population), while ethnic Germans were 225,000 (25%) and 18,000 (or 2%) were of the Yiddish culture. In 1819, according to Georg Hassel ethnic Poles were 77% of the population, ethnic Germans 17.5% and Jews 5.5%. However, a simple identification of religion and ethnicity is misleading. Whereas in 1812 Jews in then Prussia proper had been emancipated and naturalised,

8400-405: The same time the national self-awareness grew among the rural population of Polish and German ethnicity alike. Whereas two thirds of the grand ducal population identified as ethnically Polish (mostly in the centre, south and east), one third envisioned themselves as being of German ethnicity. Anti-Prussian sentiment grew as response to policy of Germanisation and repression by Prussian authorities and

8500-513: The takeover of Lesser Poland . Thietmar's narrative, however, raises doubts as to whether the joined military operation actually happened. The chronicler claims that a settlement was then concluded between the Emperor and the Bohemian ruler Boleslaus II the Pious , which is not mentioned in any other source and is contrary to the realities of the political situation at that time. Another debatable point

8600-469: The title of Grand Duke of Posen until the fall of the monarchy in 1918. The grand duchy was 28,951 square kilometres (11,178 sq mi) in area and was subdivided into two government districts : Posen and Bromberg . The regions were further divided into 26 original districts (German: Kreis(e) , Polish : Powiat(y) ) headed by Landräte ("district councillors"). Later, these were redivided into 40 districts , plus two urban districts. In 1824,

8700-561: The unrest. Ultimately the Lutici and the Obotrites were able to liberate themselves from German rule for the next two centuries. The Emperor left a minor successor, Otto III . His regency was claimed by Henry II of Bavaria . Like in 973, Mieszko and the Czech duke Boleslaus II took the side of the Bavarian duke. This fact is confirmed in the chronicle of Thietmar, which noted that "There arrived [at

8800-628: The vicinity of Poznań . In 982 Emperor Otto II suffered a disastrous defeat against the Emirate of Sicily . The resulting weakness of the imperial power was exploited by the Lutici , who initiated a great uprising of the Polabian Slavs in 983. German authority in the area ceased to exist and the Polabian tribes began to threaten the Empire. The death of Otto II at the end of that year contributed further to

8900-482: The village of Cidini , commonly identified with Cedynia . At first, the Margrave defeated Mieszko's forces; subsequently the Duke's brother Czcibor defeated the Germans in the decisive stage, inflicting great losses among their troops. It may be that Mieszko intentionally staged the retreat, which was followed by a surprise attack on the flank of the German pursuing troops. After this battle, Mieszko and Odo were called to

9000-414: The west of Pomerania is not known. Subsequent loss of the region by Mieszko's son Bolesław suggests that the conquest was difficult and the hold over that territory rather tenuous. In one version of the legend of Saint Adalbert of Prague (known in Polish as Wojciech ) it is written that Mieszko I had his daughter married to a Pomeranian prince, who previously voluntarily "was washed with the holy water of

9100-563: The young emperor waged a retaliatory expedition against Bohemia, in 978 forcing Duke Boleslaus into submission. In 977 Mieszko's wife, Dobrawa, died. At first there were no apparent repercussions, as the Polish ruler had maintained his alliance with Bohemia. In 979 Otto II supposedly attacked Poland. Mention of this event can be found in the Chronicle of the Bishops of Cambrai from the 11th century. The effects of this expedition are unknown, but it

9200-461: Was a common convention at that time. It is generally recognized that the baptism of Mieszko I took place in 966. The place is unknown; it could have had happened in any of the cities of the Empire (possibly Regensburg ), but also in one of the Polish towns like Gniezno or Ostrów Lednicki . The belief that the baptism was accomplished through the Czechs in order to avoid the dependence on Germany and

9300-448: Was a political decision, intended to bring Mieszko's state closer to the Czechs and to facilitate his activities in the Polabian Slavs area. At the same time, the baptism decreased the likelihood of future attacks by German margraves and deprived them of the opportunity to attempt Christianization of Mieszko's lands by force. An additional reason could be Mieszko's desire to remove from power

9400-401: Was dominated by Polish nobility, was abolished, and instead the Prussian state appointed commissioners. Monasteries and their assets were confiscated by Prussia. The office of the governor (Statthalter) was abolished. Germanisation of institutions, education as well through colonisation was implemented. On September 11, 1840, an audience was held by the Prussian king for deputies coming from

9500-549: Was first mentioned in 1248, while the Middle High German name Frowenstat Civitas first appeared in 1290. After German colonists had established a settlement nearby, it received Magdeburg rights around 1250. From the 1290s, Wschowa was part of the Duchy of Głogów , and in 1343 it was captured by King Casimir III the Great and reunited with Greater Poland. Since then Wschowa was a royal town of Poland and county seat within

9600-529: Was founded called Towarzystwo Kosynierów (Society of Scythemen). Resistance activity of Poles resulted in reaction from Berlin, where a trial was held in connection to links between Poles from the Grand Duchy with Poles from Russian-ruled Congress Poland . The 1830 November Uprising within Congress Poland against the Russian Empire was significantly supported by Poles from the Grand Duchy. Afterward,

9700-610: Was involved in warfare for the control of Western Pomerania and annexed it to the vicinity of the lower Oder River . His internal reforms were aimed at expanding and improving the so-called war monarchy system. During the last years of his life, he fought the Bohemian state and captured Silesia and lands now constituting Lesser Poland . In foreign policy, Mieszko I placed the interests of his country foremost and entered into agreements with his former foes. He successfully used diplomacy by concluding alliances with Bohemia , Sweden and

9800-635: Was sealed with the marriage of Mieszko's daughter Świętosława with the Swedish king Erik . The content of the treaty is known from the traditional account—not entirely reliable, but originating directly from the Danish court—given by Adam of Bremen . In this text, probably as a result of confusion, he gives instead of Mieszko's name the name of his son Bolesław: Mieszko decided on the alliance with Sweden probably in order to help protect his possessions in Pomerania from

9900-515: Was the Hohenzollern king of Prussia and his representative was the Duke-Governor ( Statthalter ): the first was Prince Antoni Radziwiłł (1815–1831), who was married to Princess Louise of Prussia , the king's cousin. The governor was assigned to give advice in matters of Polish nationality, and had the right to veto the administration decisions; in reality, however, all administrative power was in

10000-583: Was then a leader of a band of Polabian Slavs, defeated Mieszko twice, and around 963 a brother of Mieszko, whose name is unknown, was killed in the fighting. The frontiers at the mouth of the Oder River were also desired by the German margraves. In addition, the Veleti Bohemia, which at that time possessed Silesia and Lesser Poland regions, constituted a danger for the young state of the Polans. The chronicle of Thietmar poses some problems of interpretation of

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