2. On the trail of the Bolesławs - memory of the rule of the first Piasts
The aim of this section is to look at and analyse the historical memory of the first Piasts and their state in the era of the birth, growth and fall of nationalisms, which for the Polish nation fall in the period of partitions, the interwar period, the Polish People's Republic and the Third Polish Republic. The issue of the Recovered Territories seems to be extremely interesting here. The name itself, effectively popularised by the propaganda of the Polish People's Republic, appeared in Polish Western nationalist thought at the beginning of the 20th century. Even then, there were postulates to move the borders of independent Poland westwards, i.e. to the line of the Oder and the Lusatian Neisse, referring in particular to the connections - even episodic - of these territories with the rule of the first Piasts. It was not until 1945 that the reactivation of the Piast idea and the departure from the previously dominant Jagiellonian idea became possible. This was manifested not only in the flourishing of historical and archaeological research (including the millennium research), but also in various activities in the public space (popular science and fiction, the press, cinematography, music, art, names, museums, monuments, etc.). The manifestations of memory are probably most clearly visible in the Polish People's Republic, but the section will present cross-sectional and detailed papers on the memory of the Piasts in the other epochs mentioned.
The study analyses the changes in the way the reigns of the first two historical rulers of Poland - Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry - were presented in Polish history textbooks of the 19th and 20th centuries. The analysis takes into account the influence of changing political conditions and the results of historical research on the changes in the content of textbooks over time. The existence in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries of different educational opportunities and a different strategy of activity of the institutional censorship of the partitioning states. The liquidation of censorship after the First World War. Jędrzejowicz's educational reform from the end of the Second Rzeczpospolita. The changes in result of the communists' full control of the educational system and the publishing market from 1948 onwards and the impact of the war experience. The effect of the abolition of institutional censorship and the pluralization of the publishing market after 1990.
2025-09-18 13:00-13:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The analysis of the oldest known Polish annals, namely the Ancient Annals, the Annals of the Cracow chapter and the Annals of Kamieniec enables us to reconstruct the formation of the memory of the first Piast rulers in the oldest Polish annals as well as the vision of the times of the first rulers of this dynasty contained in the lost archetype of Polish annalistics, that is to say the so-called Annales Regni Poloniae deperditi (ARPd). The study of the preserved annalistic material suggests that about half of the notes concerning Mieszko I and Boleslas the Brave in the Polish annalistic tradition were most probably already present in the ARPd. The attempt of reconstruction of the entries concerning Boleslas the Brave in the ARPd also shows that they concern mainly the last years of his reign, which suggests that the redaction of the ARPd started at the latest during the second decade of the XIth century.
2025-09-18 09:30-10:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
We use many concepts and metaphors to facilitate understanding and explanation of the past In historical narrative. One of the ideas rooted in Polish historiography is the Piast idea, which is a kind of narrative metaphor. It functions as an element of a broader narrative that praises nativeness - starting with the Slavic idea, through the Piast idea, ending with Polishness. Building national identity required and requires appropriate treatment of the founders of the state - the first Piasts, those domini naturales. The concept of Piast Poland began to play an important role in the work of historians in the 19th century, although it had already existed in historical literature earlier. Historians such as O. Balzer, Z. Wojciechowski and W. Semkowicz played an important role in its construction. Building national identity based on the Piast idea took the form of the official historical policy of the Polish state after 1945. Silesia, which was then annexed to Poland.
2025-09-18 16:30-17:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The paper refers to the development of two legends of the origins of the Piast dynasty, the first connected with Gniezno, the second connected with a mountain located in Silesia. The important context for these considerations is provided by the celebrations of anniversaries: the baptism of Poland, the coronation of Bolesław Chrobry, and the end of the Piast dynasty.
2025-09-18 09:00-09:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
In 2024, a mural was unveiled on the main street of Wałcz, featuring a grey and navy blue silhouette of Casimir the Great, towering over other, diminished town symbols, including the Pomeranian Wall monument and the German post office. This mural is the most recent, although not the only, manifestation of the presence of the last Piast dynasty representative in the town. In 1368, Casimir the Great purchased the Wałcz Land from the Margrave of Brandenburg. This historical event has been repeatedly commemorated, especially after 1945, when the region once again fell within the borders of Poland. In my presentation, I will focus on elucidating how references to the Piast dynasty are employed in the context of a post-displacement town such as Wałcz. Using ethnographic methods and the theoretical framework of hauntology, I will examine the transformations of local collective memory, the contexts in which it functions, and the entanglements it has experienced over the past 80 years.
2025-09-19 11:30-12:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The aim of this presentation is firstly to show the contemporary historical and/or fantasy novels depicting the characters of Mieszko I, Bolesław the Brave and Mieszko II. Have these characters been created as the main protagonists of a novel or, as in a Walter Scott-type novel, have they been a part of a general background? Secondly, it is not only important to ask who is portrayed in these novels, but also why a certain set of traits has been attributed to a specific character, why certain praiseworthy or dishonourable behaviour has been imputed, or why certain historical facts have been distorted in a specific way to twist the image. Has a specific creation resulted from the views of the authors of the novels, their attitudes towards religion and the Church (as is the case of A. Sapkowski), or has it been a natural consequence of the development of the narrative and novel fiction? Obviously, there are more questions, and the answers given in part above are a part of bigger picture
2025-09-19 13:00-13:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The primary function of every statue, not only in its most comprehensible form of figurative composition, is to commemorate the person it represents. There are, however, often other layers of meaning. A very good example of this is the Grunwald Monument in Kraków (1910), which, on the one hand, commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, but, on the other, erected and unveiled in conspiracy, was clearly conceived as a testimony to the former glory of both Poles and Lithuanians, as well as a harbinger of better times to come. Different layers of meaning could also be found in the growing number of monuments to the first Polish king, including those which date back to the communist era (Gniezno, 1978 and 1985) and those which were erected later (Wrocław, 2007). The paper seeks to expose some of these hidden (though not necessarily secondary) meanings and shed some light on their cultural and historical significance.
2025-09-18 15:30-16:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
In this paper I analyse the place of religious images in the construction of a vision of the history of the so-called Piast era. Using contemporary iconographic material from Lesser Poland (Małopolska), Mazovia (Mazowsze), Western Pomerania (Pomorze Zachodnie), and Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) found in church interiors, I consider the history-making role of images and architectural details. I also examine the contexts in which images of medieval figures, both saints and rulers, are presented and the meanings given to them by church spaces. Drawing on the now classic studies of religious imagery by David Freedberg and the materiality of images by David Morgan, I consider the impact of visual elements placed in religious space on the vision of history. My reflections focus on almost iconic representations such as the baptism of Mieszko I, the martyrdom of St Adalbert or the resurrection of Peter (Piotrowin) by St Stanislaus. They are not only part of the religious tradition, but also in
2025-09-19 09:30-10:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The paper will address the construction of historiographical portraits of Bolesław Chrobry over the past 200 years. The analysis will focus on historiographical approaches in the context of the socio-political conditions in which they were developed.
2025-09-18 16:00-16:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The paper is devoted to the analysis of artistic and iconographic choices made by Edward Raczyński, the originator of the Golden Chapel project. The 19th-century aristocrat’s strategies for commemorating the first Piast rulers, which this reading aims to identify, have informed the chapel structure and decoration. Finding the specific points of reference for the form and interior of the building is paramount; both the historical circumstances of the chapel construction and its iconographic programme have been identified, but the genesis of the artistic ideas has scarcely been analysed. A deeper awareness of their origin will help with the precise reconstruction of Raczyński’s intentions, thus contributing to a better understanding of the point of contention in the dispute over the chapel, which eventually led to Count’s suicidal death.
2025-09-18 12:00-12:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The subject of this paper is an attempt to determine the state of knowledge about the earliest history of Gniezno possessed by the local clergy during the period from the 16th to the 18th century. The source basis for these considerations will consist of manuscripts and old prints created within the indicated time frame. The aim of the analysis is to establish how the clergy of Gniezno perceived the significance of this center in the early Middle Ages and how their knowledge of local traditions regarding the origins of the Polish state developed.
2025-09-18 10:00-10:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The aim of this paper, based on an extensive source research, will be to show the process of creating a memory of Mieszko I's actions and possessions in Western Pomerania in the 20th century. Particular attention will be paid here to the creation and propagation of narratives related to the issue of the conquest of Pomerania and the actions of the first Piast to hold this land, as part of a broader political mythology related to the western territories. To achieve this, selected activities and the process of constructing symbolic places of remembrance that shape and strengthen the memory in Polish society of the narratives linking Mieszko I with Pomerania will be presented.
2025-09-19 12:00-12:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The presentation will provide the description of the socio-political realities of the functioning of the Polish state during the time of the first rulers of the Piast Dynasty, as it was decribed in the literary works of Karol Bunsch. Both the personal life experiences of the Author of the "Piast Novels" cycle will be taken into conideration, as well as his references to the Polish post-war historical policy. In the latter case, it will be worth paying special attention to the emphasis on the issues of the constant German threat to the Slavs, the relations between the state and the Catholic Church, and feudal social relations. These issues are also worth considering in the context of the internal policy of the People's Republic of Poland at that time.
2025-09-19 12:30-13:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The aim of the presentation is to present the most important elements in the post-war constructing of the narrative about the medieval beginnings of Jelenia Góra. These include the naming of streets, monuments, the naming of schools, and the celebration of the legendary founding of the town by Bolesław Krzywousty in 1108. We will focus on the creation of a propaganda Piast vision from the bottom up and top down, as well as on the long-lasting narrative of the city and its beginnings. Our presentation is based on archival research from the State Archives in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch, press research and library research.
2025-09-19 10:00-10:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
Archaeological research is expensive, its extent decided primarily by state authorities capable of financing its implementation. A good example is the Polish Millennial research which – regardless of the motivation of the academic community – was a project intended to lend legitimacy to communist rule in Poland, helping confirm Silesia’s/Pomerania’s “immemorial” affiliation to Poland and project the image of the authorities of People’s Poland as legitimate heirs of Bolesław the Brave. A peculiar situation prevailed in the eastern outlying region of People’s Poland which can hardly be regarded as a part of Early Piast Poland. Here the narrative strategy was hamstrung by the political domination of the Soviet Union, the memory of Polish-Ukrainian conflicts. After 1989, we have been witnessing a major upsurge of archaeological fieldwork in this part of Poland (Chełm/Czermno), but the issue of whether the region was the domain of the Piast or of the Rurikids has lost none of its relevance
2025-09-18 17:00-17:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The first image of Bolesław Chrobry does not appear in Romanesque art until the 12th century on a bronze door in Gniezno – but here at once three times. Only few examples of the depictions of the king can be traced in medieval panel painting. A separate subject is the depiction of Boleslaus the Brave on his medieval tombstone – as far as we are able to reconstruct this unpreserved tumulus. In the Early Modern times images of the king contain the Chronica Polonorum by Maciej of Miechów (Miechowita), published in 1519, and the Chronicle of Poland by Marcin and Joachim Bielski, portraits being followed by the sculptor of his bust on the gate of the Piast Castle in Brzeg, and possibly also on the Warsaw palace of Hetman Stanisław Chomętowski (later incorporated into the façade of the public library of the brothers Andrzej and Józef Załuski). Series of portraits of rulers, including Chrobry, has survived from the reign of the last pre-partition ruler of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski – above all these of the Marble Cabinet by Marcello Bacciarelli. Recalling the images of the king is not only the quantity undertaking, but they also form a reflection on the degree of his popularity in the Middle Ages and in modern times, as well as a narrative, to which amount these representations became constitutive (choice of pose, attribute) for the whole 19th-century Polish history painting, including Jan Matejko or Piotr Michałowski.
2025-09-18 11:30-12:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The urban space of Gniezno have no monuments testifying to its medieval origins. There is only gothic churches and monuments kept in museums. Awareness of the historical value of Gniezno survived, even despite the intensive germanisation of these lands at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. When Greater Poland regained independence at the turn of 1918 and 1919, one of the elements of emphasising the Piast heritage was giving street names, founding monuments etc. This activity was also continued during the period of the Polish People's Republic (1944-1989), establishing institutions in the city with names referring to the Piasts or locating Gniezno in the middle of the tourist Piast Trail. Before the war this "Piast policy" had a symbolic dimension, in the context of the Polish People's Republic it was a well-thought-out strategy aimed at embedding it in the consciousness of the residents - that they lived in the first capital of Piast Poland.
2025-09-18 10:30-11:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
The paper will serve to present a fragment of my book in the making about Polish cultural memory of King Bolesław the Brave. I will outline the problem of the reception of the figure by the Polish national movement in the interwar period and during WWII. First, I will outline the celebrations of the 900th anniversary of the royal coronation in 1925, showing that they were organized by the National Democrats and that they were a trigger for the development of the popularity of the first Polish king in this environment. Here, I will also mention the thread of the Congress of Historians in Poznań in 1925. Then, I will talk about the genesis of the so-called "Mieczyk Chrobry", the symbol of nationalist organizations. I will also mention other elements of the aesthetic staffage of Polish nationalism in the 1930s, related to Bolesław the Brave. Next, I will outline the political concepts of nationalists, in which they inscribed the myth of Bolesław, showing their historical development.
2025-09-18 12:30-13:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, Aula IKE
Even at the twilight of the Piast dynasty's rule over Cieszyn, the origins of the city were traced back to the meeting of three brothers, the sons of Leszek III. This Polish founding myth of the city was reinforced in 1817 by Alojz Kaufmann, who added the element of the well where the brothers allegedly met. German research on Castle Hill during World War II attributed the rotunda to constructions commissioned by Czech rulers, the Kierownictwo Badań nad Początkami Państwa Polskiego recognized the potential to demonstrate the presence of the Piast dynasty in Cieszyn Silesia as early as the 10th century. Kietlińska's research, conducted as part of the Polish Millennium, pointed to Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry as the initiators of fortifications on Castle Hill. He also credited with founding the rotunda. This interpretation resonates in the depiction on the 20 zł banknote, where the inclusion of the St. Nicholas rotunda symbolizes Cieszyn's historical connection to the realm of Chrobry.
2025-09-19 10:30-11:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
