19. Realm and National Community in Vincentius Kadłubek’s „Chronicle of the Poles”
The session concerns the vision of the realm and national community in Vincentius Kadłubek’s „Chronicle of the Poles”. His work is considered the first monument of the Polish historiography and both political and legal thought. Master Vincentius not only covered in his narrative the tales of the legendary origins of the Poles (the history of the Empire of the Poles-Lechites) but also introduced the fundamental ideological concepts (e.g. res publica), which still shape the image of Poles and Poland. In the session, the tools Vincentius employed to shape the image of the realm, its territory, and the vision of the community of the citizens – the nation and common good, shall be discussed. Papers presented will aim at contextualising and placing Kadłubek’s work and his description of the history of Poland on a larger backdrop of the political culture of the age. NPRH project " Realm and National Community in Vincentius Kadłubek’s „Chronicle of the Poles”. Vision and Reception", which aim is to discuss the role of Vincentius’ work in shaping the Polish national identity and the vision of the realm, including the later reception of the chronicle.
The anti-German message of Master Wincenty's chronicle drew the attention of ‘researchers’ in the Middle Ages, i.e. the first interpreters of his work. And although the chronicle of his contemporary Dane, Swen Aggesen, remained unnoticed in the era, 19th-century scholars gave it analogous features, also calling it an anti-German work. Based on these assumptions, in my paper I would like to compare these two - in my opinion extremely close - historical texts, wondering what the actual role of anti-German threads is from the point of view of the entirety of the lectures. I am convinced that it significantly goes beyond purely ethnic matters, creating rather an ideological antinomy, embedded in a patriotically conditioned historiosophy. Interesting in that in the historical literature of that time it is present in its specific context only in the two mentioned chroniclers. What was the relationship between them? In this paper it will be impossible to avoid this fundamental question.
The date and place of the paper will be announced soon, along with the detailed schedule of the Congress.
Wincenty Kadłubek included in his Chronicle a narrative about the origins of the realm. Individual elements of the process of Poland’s formation occupy a significant portion of the first book of his work, where the so-called “legendary history” serves to present a story about the first rulers. Historians had varied opinions on this, but have so far overlooked that both the components and the overarching structure of the realm’s formation in Kadłubek’s account draw on older traditions present throughout Europe. The structure begins with the fall of the first Lechitic Empire and the creation of the proper realm by Krak, followed by Wanda and the successive Lesteks. This sequence of rulers, their deeds and qualities conveys, in Kadłubek’s narrative, what each successive ruler must do for the realm to emerge. The paper aims to demonstrate the origins of this narrative structure and what the beginnings of the realm meant for Kadłubek, employing a comparative approach as a research method.
2025-09-19 10:00-10:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 2.08
Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii PAN Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN
Kadłubek did not regard the division of Poland in 1138 as the beginning of the division of Poland. On the contrary, he created a picture of a unified monarchy with the capital in Kraków. Dlugosz, using his chronicle, followed his lecture on the history of Poland in the second half of the 12th century. In this way, the successive seniors were no different from the earlier Polish monarchs. However, Dlugosz annotated his argumentation with a commentary written from the perspective of the disintegration of central power that occurred in the 13th century. The paper aims to deepen the above observations and interpret the contradiction inherent in Długosz's Annals.
2025-09-19 09:00-09:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 2.08
The report will concern the presence of theological and biblical threads in Master Wincenty's chronicle, especially since the authenticity of her historiosophical lecture was guaranteed by the authority of the bishop. It is therefore worth considering how the chronicler's religious formation and theological knowledge, resulting from his office representing the teaching mission of the Church, influenced his perception of the state and its shape. Katarzyna Chmielewska once demonstrated the important role of the presence of ancient threads in the chronicle, and can the same be said in the context of biblical theology?
2025-09-19 12:00-12:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 2.08
The presentation examines the narrative of the Hungarian-Polish alliance by comparing Wincenty Kadłubek’s Chronicle with the Hungarian-Polish Chronicle (HPC). Kadłubek often expressed a critical attitude toward the Hungarians; however, he was aware of the tradition of Polish-Hungarian friendship, sanctified by St. Adalbert and St. Stephen, which both countries were expected to uphold. Kadłubek referenced this tradition when describing the peace concluded between Casimir the Just and Béla III, which ended their rivalry over the Principality of Halych. The HPC, written around 1230 in Hungary, also preserves the tradition of an everlasting Polish-Hungarian alliance. Its author was familiar with Polish historical tradition and likely knew people that either had direct knowledge of Kadłubek’s work or shared some of its ideas. This suggests that the tradition of an eternal Polish-Hungarian alliance enjoyed popularity at least from the early 13th century.
2025-09-19 11:30-12:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 2.08
The account of Bolesław Szczodry's reign in Kadłubek's Chronicle, depicting the transformation of a good ruler into a tyrant, is among the most frequently analyzed passages of this work. However, previous research has primarily focused on the conflict between the ruler and Bishop Stanisław of Szczepanów, as well as the consequences faced by unfaithful wives. According to Kadłubek's narrative, the king's military pursuits and the prolonged absence of knights lead to slave rebellion and the infidelity of their left-behind spouses, ultimately resulting in the destabilization of social order. My aim is to analyze this fragment of the Chronicle from a different perspective, considering medieval debates on state stability and the role of marriage—particularly marital obligations—as foundational to social order. This analysis will emphasize the multifaceted nature of Kadłubek's narrative and its roots in Western European political and legal thought.
2025-09-19 10:30-11:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 2.08
The conference paper focuses on the role played by loyalty - one of the key concepts of medieval political culture - in Kadłubek’s vision of the relationship between ruler and subjects. Analyzing both the chronicler's direct reflections and the meaning of selected narratives, the conference paper seeks to answer questions about the place of ties of loyalty in res publica imagined by Kadłubek and the circumstances in which they could be dissolved. Kadłubek's idea of a virtuous res publica, as well as the immediate political context of the chronicle's creation, influenced his vision in which subjects and rulers were bound by ties of mutual, selfless loyalty. The shifting allegiances of the arbiters of Piast power - the dignitaries of Lesser Poland - were justified in the eyes of the chronicler, as long as they remained steadfastly loyal to the political community itself.
2025-09-19 09:30-10:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 2.08
