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In
997 (the beginning of the Medieval Time in Poland) Brother
Adalbert, sent by Mieszko's son and successor Boleslaw
the Brave (Bolesław Chrobry) to convert the pagan Prussian
tribe, was murdered by the Prussians in a place near
present day city of Gdansk.
According to a legend, Prince Boleslaw purchased the
martyr's body for its weight in gold and brought it
back to Gniezno (see Poznan
history) for burial. Upon Adalbert's subsequent canonization,
his grave became a holy site. In the year 1000, Holy
Roman Emperor Otto III made a pilgrimage to Gniezno.
During the very pilgrimage Otto III proclaimed Boleslaw
as "a brother and aide in the Empire", implying
no subordinate relationship.
Boleslaw
attempted to unite the Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks into
one large state. However, the Czech and Slovak lands
came only briefly under his rule. Boleslaw also warred
in the east. Throughout his life, Boleslaw implored
Rome for a royal crown. In 1025, near the end of his
life, Boleslaw was crowned as the King of Poland, with
the Pope's blessing but without the German Emperor's
approval. This was an important step towards the recognition
of Poland as a true kingdom within Latin Christendom.
After
Boleslaw's death Poland fell in 200 years of wars, and
in 1138 Poland's unity was lost and the country was
divided into parts which belonged to some princess.
In
1320 the Polish crown was restored by Casimir III the
Great (Kazimierz Wielki), who was a monarch of some
renown, bestowing one of Europe's first universities
on Krakow, and an extensive network of castles and fortifications
on the country at large. Through the ensuing centuries
of territorial expansion and contraction, and of wealth
and poverty, the infrastructures bequeathed by Casimir
held firm - most of Poland's troubles blew in from outside.
It is said that Casimir the Great 'found Poland built
of wood and left it built of masonry'.
Casimir
the Great was the last king of the Piast dynasty. After
his death in 1370 the Jagiellonian Dynasty began their
rule. Under the Jagiellonian Dynasty there was a union
between Lithuania and Poland and these countries faced
up to a powerful new enemy, the Order of Teutonic Knights.
In 1409, an open conflict erupted. On July 15, 1410
a decisive battle, one of the biggest in the history
of Middle Ages, permanently weakened the Teutonic Order.
The two opposing armies met outside the village of Grunwald
(also known as Tannenberg). On one side were the Teutonic
Knights, with Western European mercenaries, supported
by infantry and cannon, about 27,000 men in total commanded
by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. On the other was
a larger Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian army, supported
by Czech and vassal Tartar contingents, of about 39,000
men, commanded by king Wladyslaw Jagiello himself. The
battle lasted for several hours. By the end of the day,
eight thousand Teutonic Knights were slain, including
the Grand Master of the Order, and fourteen thousand
prisoners were taken for ransom.
After
the next thirteen years the Teutonic Order was disbanded
and in next 30 years, the Polish empire extended from
the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and was the largest
European state.
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