, Mieszko's wife who played a major role in Poland's conversion to Christianity Before the adoption of Christianity in modern-day Poland, there were a number of different
pagan tribes.
Svetovid was among the most widespread pagan gods worshiped in Poland. Christianity arrived around the late 9th century, most likely around the time when the
Vistulan tribe encountered the Christian rite in dealings with their neighbors, the
Great Moravia (Bohemian) state. The Moravian cultural influence played a significant role in the spread of Christianity onto the Polish lands and the subsequent adoption of that religion. In the opinion of Davies, the Christianization of Poland through the Czech–Polish alliance represented a conscious choice on the part of Polish rulers to ally themselves with the Czech state rather than the German one. In a similar fashion, some of the later political struggles involved the Polish Church refusing to subordinate itself to the German hierarchy and instead being directly subordinate to the
Vatican.
Baptism , the first Christian ruler of Poland. Depicted by
Jan Matejko as holding a crucifix in an allusion to the Baptism of Poland. "The Baptism of Poland" refers to the ceremony when the first ruler of the Polish state,
Mieszko I, and much of his court converted to the Christian religion. Mieszko's wife
Dobrawa of Bohemia, a zealous Christian, played a significant role in promoting Christianity in Poland, and might have had a significant influence on converting Mieszko himself. The exact place of Mieszko's baptism is disputed; Most historians argue that
Gniezno or
Poznań are the most likely sites. However, other historians have suggested alternative locations, such as
Ostrów Lednicki, or even in German
Regensburg. The date of Mieszko's baptism was 14 April 966,
Holy Saturday. The ceremony was preceded by a week of oral catechism and several days of fasting. The actual ceremony involved pouring water over the segregated groups of men and women, although it is possible that their heads were immersed instead, and anointed with the
chrism.
Christianization of Poland The baptismal mission which began in the two major cities of Gniezno and Poznań with the baptism of Mieszko and his court spread throughout the country. During the 10th and 11th centuries various ecclesiastical organs were established in Poland. This included the building of churches and the appointment of clergy. The first
Bishop of Poland,
Jordan, was appointed by
Pope John XIII in 968. Mieszko's son
Bolesław I the Brave supported Christianization missions to neighboring lands, notably the mission of future Saint
Adalbert of Prague to
Old Prussians, and established the
Archbishopric of Gniezno in the year 1000. Although at first the Christian religion was "unpopular and alien", Mieszko's baptism was highly influential but needed to be enforced by the state, and ran into some popular opposition, including
an uprising in the 1030s (particularly intense in the years of 1035–1037). Nonetheless, by that time Poland had won recognition as a proper European state, from both the papacy and the
Holy Roman Empire. Out of various provinces of today's Poland, Christianity's spread was slowest in
Pomerania, where it gained a significant following only around the 12th century. Initially, the clergy came from the Western Christian European countries; native Polish clergy took three or four generations to emerge, and were supported by the monasteries and friars that grew increasingly common in the 12th century. By the 13th century Roman Catholicism had become the dominant religion throughout Poland. In adopting Christianity as the state religion, Mieszko sought to achieve several personal goals. He saw Poland's baptism as a way of strengthening his hold on power, as well as using it as a unifying force for the Polish people. It replaced several smaller cults with a single, central one, clearly associated with the royal court. It would also improve the position and respectability of the Polish state on the international, European scene. The Church also helped to strengthen the monarch's authority and brought to Poland much experience with regard to state administration. Thus, the Church organisation supported the state, and in return, bishops received important government titles (in the later era, they were members of the
Senate of Poland). ==Millennial celebrations of 1966==