PARP: Animowana "Historia Polski" Poland Travel Notes. Short URL: - National Anthem of Poland. Poland was one of the major European powers under the Jagiellon dynasty of the 15th and 16th centuries. Poland Travel Brochures. Quick Links Krakow, Map of Poland, Poland Background, Poland Travel, Poland Travel Guides, Poznan, Tatra Mountains, Warsaw, Wroclaw. Driving From Warsaw.
Countries neighbouring Poland are Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Poland's long period of decline saw the country being divided between Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Poland was again established as a sovereign state after World War I, then partitioned for a fourth time in 1939 by Germany and the Soviet Union.
Weather in Poland View a graphical weather forecast for the week ahead in places around Poland. Czestochowa Weather, Gdansk Weather, Gdynia Weather, Katowice Weather, Krakow Weather, Poznan Weather, Swinoujscie Weather, Szczecin Weather, Warsaw Weather, Wroclaw Weather. Browse all cities. Poland. Poland i/ˈpoʊlənd/ (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north.
The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi),[7] making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. With a population of over 38.5 million people,[7] Poland is the 34th most populous country in the world,[9] the sixth most populous member of the European Union, and the most populous post-communist member of the European Union. Poland is a unitary state divided into 16 administrative subdivisions. Two decades later, in September 1939, World War II started with the invasions of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union (as part of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact).
Etymology History Prehistory Piast dynasty. Greater Poland. The proper Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska [vjɛlkɔˈpɔlska] ( ) (German: Großpolen; Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań. The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history. Since the Middle Ages the proper (właściwa) or exact/strict (ścisła) Wielkopolska (often referred to as ziemia, that means land) included the Poznań and Kalisz voivodeships. In the wider sense (as dzielnica, i.e. region) it encompassed also Sieradz, Łęczyca, Brześć Kujawski and Inowrocław voivodeships (more eastward). One another meaning (as province) included also Mazovia and Royal Prussia. Name of the region[edit] Geography[edit] Greater Poland comprises much of the area drained by the Warta River and its tributaries, including the Noteć River.
The region's main metropolis is Poznań, near the centre of the region, on the Warta. History[edit] External links[edit] Lesser Poland. Lesser Poland (in the basic meaning) Lesser Poland (Polish Małopolska, Latin Polonia Minor) is a historical region (dzielnica) of Poland; its capital is the city Kraków. In the wider sense (see Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown), Lesser Poland encompassed from the 14th century also Ruś Czerwona, and from 16th century Podlasie and Ukraine. Geography and boundaries[edit] Lesser Poland stretches from the Carpathians in the south to Pilica and Liwiec rivers to the north. It borders Mazovia to the north, Podlaskie to the northeast, Red Ruthenia to the east, Slovakia to the south, Silesia to the west, and Greater Poland to the northwest. Currently, the region is divided between Polish voivodeships – Lesser Poland Voivodeship (whole), Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (whole), Silesian Voivodeship (eastern half), Subcarpathian Voivodeship (western part), Masovian Voivodeship (southern part), Łódź Voivodeship (southeastern corner), and Lublin Voivodeship (western part).
Origin of the name[edit] Piast dynasty. The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Prince Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branches of the Piast dynasty continued to rule in the Duchy of Masovia and in the Duchies of Silesia, until the last male Silesian Piast died in 1675.
The Piasts intermarried with several noble lines of Europe, and possessed numerous titles, some within the Holy Roman Empire. Origin of the name[edit] The early dukes and kings of Poland regarded themselves as descendants of the semi-legendary Piast the Wheelwright (Piast Kołodziej), first mentioned in the Cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (Chronicles and deeds of the dukes or princes of the Poles), written c. 1113 by Gallus Anonymus. History[edit] The Piast position was decisively enfeebled by an era of fragmentation following the 1138 Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty. Coat of arms[edit] Mieszko I of Poland. Mieszko I ( The first historical ruler of Poland, Mieszko I is considered the de facto creator of the Polish state.
He continued the policy of both his father and grandfather, who were rulers of the pagan tribes located in the area of present Greater Poland. Either through alliances or by use of military force, Mieszko extended the ongoing conquests and early in his reign subordinated Kuyavia and probably Gdańsk Pomerania and Masovia. For most of his reign, Mieszko I was involved in warfare for the control of Western Pomerania, eventually conquering it up to the vicinity of the lower Oder.
Mieszko I's marriage in 965 to the Czech Přemyslid princess Dobrawa and his baptism in 966 put him and his country in the cultural sphere of Western Christianity. According to existing sources, Mieszko I was a wise politician, a talented military leader and charismatic ruler. Date of birth[edit] There is no certain information on Mieszko I's life before he took control over his lands.
His Reign[edit] Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385) The Kingdom of Poland (Polish Królestwo Polskie [kruˈlɛstfɔ ˈpɔlskʲɛ]; Latin Regnum Poloniae) was the Polish state from the coronation of the first King Bolesław I the Brave in 1025 to the union with Lithuania and the rule of the Jagiellon dynasty in 1385. Coronation of the first King of Poland in 1001 The basis for the development of a Polish state was laid by the Piast dynasty, which had been preeminent since the 10th century.
The conversion of Duke Mieszko I to Christianity paved the way for Poland to become a member of the family of Christian kingdoms. In 1000, during the Congress of Gniezno, Poland was recognized as a state by the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope. In 1025, Duke Boleslaus I the Brave was crowned King of Poland, marking the starting date for a Polish Kingdom, though for long years the Poles were ruled not by Kings but by Dukes.
The King ruled the country in his own responsibility but was expected to respect traditional customs of the people. Bolesław I Chrobry. Bolesław I Chrobry (Bolesław I the Valiant, or the Brave; Czech: Boleslav Chrabrý; Polish ; 967 – 17 June 1025; previously also known as Bolesław I the Great, "Wielki"), was a Duke of Poland during 992–1025 and the first crowned King of Poland since 18 April 1025 until his death two months later. He also ruled was also Duke of Bohemia as Boleslav IV during 1002–03. He was the first-born son of Mieszko I by his first wife Dobrawa, daughter of Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia.[1][2] Bolesław I the Brave was named after his maternal grandfather.
He assumed the control over the country in 992 after having expelled his step-mother Oda of Haldensleben and his half-brothers. He supported the missionary views of Adalbert, Bishop of Prague and Bruno of Querfurt. Bolesław I was a remarkable politician, strategist, and statesman. He not only turned Poland into a country comparable to older western monarchies, but he raised it to the front rank of European states. Life[edit] Youth[edit] Oda of Haldensleben. Oda of Haldensleben (ca. 955/60 – 1023) was a German noblewoman and by marriage Duchess of the Polans. She was the eldest child of Dietrich of Haldensleben, Margrave of the North March.[1][2][3] Life[edit] By most accounts, she grew up in the monastery of Kalbe, near to Milde river in the north of Magdeburg.
Eventually she became a nun there, but ca. 978/79 she was abducted[4] by Duke Misaca (Mieszko I of Poland) (who had lost his first wife, the Bohemian princess Dobrawa in 977) and married soon after. This union produced three sons: Mieszko (b. ca. 979 – d. aft. 992/95).Świętopełk (b. ca. 980 – d. bef. 991?). Some 80 years later a reference in an obscure church book mentions "Ote and Dago(me)". The undated mentioning from 1080 states that (shortly before his death?)
Mieszko I's oldest son, Bolesław I the Brave, is not mentioned, perhaps because he already received his inheritance (probably Lesser Poland, who included Kraków and some other cities). Sources[edit] Schwennicke, Detlev. Bolesław II the Generous. Bolesław II the Generous, also known as the Bold and the Cruel (Polish: Bolesław II Szczodry Bolesław II is considered to have been one of the most capable of the Piast rulers.
In 1075 he re–established the Archdiocese of Gniezno (consecrated in 1064) and founded the Diocese of Płock. He established Benedictine monasteries in Mogilno, Lubin and Wrocław. Bolesław II was also the first Polish monarch to produce his own coinage in quantity great enough to replace the foreign coins prevalent in the country during the reigns of the first Piast kings. He established royal mints in Kraków and Wrocław and reformed the coinage, which brought considerable revenue into the royal coffers. According to the chronicler Gallus Anonymus, during his reign he was called largus ("the Generous" in English, "Szczodry" in Polish) as he founded many churches and monasteries throughout Poland.
Life[edit] Duke of Poland[edit] Benedictine monastery at Mogilno, founded by Bolesław the Generous King of Poland[edit] Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gniezno. The Archdiocese of Gniezno (Latin: Gnesnen(sis)) is an archdiocese located in the city of Gniezno in Poland. History[edit] 1000: Established as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gniezno with suffragan dioceses in Kraków, Wrocław and Kołobrzeg16 July 1821: Joined in personal union aeque principaliter with Archdiocese of Poznań12 November 1948: Dissolution of union between the archdioceses of Poznań and Gniezno, and establishment of personal union in persona episcopi between the archdioceses of Warsaw and Gniezno.25 March 1992: Dissolution of union between the archdioceses of Gniezno and Warsaw. Special churches[edit] Minor Basilicas: Bazylika św. Apostołów Piotra i Pawła, KruszwicaBazylika Św. Wincentego a Paulo, BydgoszczBazylika Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny, Trzemeszno Leadership[edit] List of archbishops of Gniezno and primates of Poland Suffragan dioceses[edit] Bydgoszcz, since 2004Włocławek, since 1000, interrupted 1818–1925 (then suffragan of Warsaw) Former suffragans[edit] Source[edit]
Bolesław III Wrymouth. Poland during the rule of Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth (also known as Bolesław III the Wry-mouthed, Polish: Bolesław III Krzywousty) (20 August 1086[1][2] – 28 October 1138), was a Prince of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz during 1102-1107 and over all Poland during 1107-1138. He was the only child of Prince Władysław I Herman and his first wife Judith, daughter of Vratislaus II of Bohemia. Bolesław began to rule in the 1090s decade of the 11th century, when the central government in Poland was significantly weakened. Władysław I Herman fell into political dependence of the Count palatine Sieciech, who became in the real ruler of the country. Boleslaw and his half-brother Zbigniew after several years of fighting in 1101 finally expelled Sieciech from the country backed by their father.
After the death of Władysław I Herman in 1102 were created two independent states to Bolesław and Zbigniew. In the 1130s Bolesław participated in the dynastic dispute in Hungary. Poland :: The Commonwealth -- Encyclopedia Britannica. The dual Polish-Lithuanian state, Respublica, or “Commonwealth” (Polish: Rzeczpospolita), was one of the largest states in Europe. While Poland in the mid-16th century occupied an area of about 100,000 square miles (260,000 square km), with some 3.5 million inhabitants, the Commonwealth at its largest point in the early 17th century comprised nearly 400,000 square miles and some 11 million inhabitants.
As such, it was a multiethnic country inhabited by Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Germans, Jews, and small numbers of Tatars, Armenians, and Scots. It was also a multifaith country, with Roman Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, Jews, and Muslims living within its boundaries. Certain communities lived under their own laws; the Jews, for example, enjoyed self-administration through the Council of the Four Lands. The term Poland was used for both the entire state and the strictly Polish part of it (though the latter was officially called the Crown). This could be confusing. History of Poland (1918–39) The independence of Poland had been successfully promoted to the Allies in Paris by Roman Dmowski and Ignacy Paderewski.
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson made the independence of Poland a war goal in his Fourteen Points, and this goal was endorsed by the Allies in spring 1918. As part of the Armistice terms imposed on Germany, all German forces had to stand down in Poland and other occupied areas. So as the war ended, the Germans sent Piłsudski, then under arrest, back to Warsaw.
On November 11, 1918 he took control from the puppet government the Germans had set up. Ignacy Daszyński headed a short-lived Polish government in Lublin from November 6 but Piłsudski had overwhelming prestige at this point. Daszyński and the other Polish leaders acknowledged him as head of the army and in effect head of what became the Republic of Poland. Polish population as of 1918 The Riga arrangement influenced the fate of the entire region for the years to come. Poland in the interbellum. Invasion of Poland. The morning after the Gleiwitz incident, German forces invaded Poland from the north, south, and west. As the Germans advanced, Polish forces withdrew from their forward bases of operation close to the Polish–German border to more established lines of defence to the east. After the mid-September Polish defeat in the Battle of the Bzura, the Germans gained an undisputed advantage.
Polish forces then withdrew to the southeast where they prepared for a long defence of the Romanian Bridgehead and awaited expected support and relief from France and the United Kingdom.[16] Those two countries had pacts with Poland and had declared war on Germany on 3 September, though in the end their aid to Poland in the September campaign was very limited. On 8 October, after an initial period of military administration, Germany directly annexed western Poland and the former Free City of Danzig and placed the remaining block of territory under the administration of the newly established General Government. Polish government-in-exile. Polish Committee of National Liberation. Polish People's Republic. Poland. A Concise History of Poland - Jerzy Lukowski, Hubert Zawadzki. The History of Poland - Mieczysław B. Biskupski. Poland under Communism: A Cold War History - A. Kemp-Welch.
The Jews of Poland: A Social and Economic History of the Jewish Community in ... - Bernard Dov Weinryb. A History of Polish Christianity - Jerzy Kloczowski.