Gniezno

The legend of Lech, Czech and Rus

According to the legend, three brothers (Lech, Czech and Rus), seeking a place to be established, penetrated in this wild territory. Suddenly, they saw a hill with an ancient oak and an eagle at the top. Lech decided to adopt this white eagle like emblem of its people and to build a fortress around the ancient oak. Because of the eyrie (in Polish Gniazdo ), it decided to call this place Gniezdno (become Gniezno today). His/her brothers left it, Czech left towards the south, Rus towards the east.

History

Gniezno was an important city at the time of the birth of the state Polish. It was the first capital of the Poland. It is closely associated with the beginnings of the Christianisme in Poland. It is mentioned in the Dagome Iudex, the oldest Polish official document, under the name of Schinesge . It is very probable that its original name was Gniezdno , deformation of the Polish word gniazdo (nest).

VI^e - VII^e century: beginning of a human occupation of the hill Panienskie (today the place of the Market)
VIII^e century: strengthened city, the Lech hill is surrounded by ramparts out of wooden and ground - fortified town of the tribe of the Polanes
X^e century: Gniezno becomes the first capital of the state of Gniezno
966: Mieszko Ier converts with Christianity
v. 990: first mention of Gniezno in a document official (Dagome Iudex)
997: Adalbert, on mission of evangelization in Prussia, is killed
999: Adalbert is canonized and buried in the cathedral of Gniezno - Radzim Gaudenty, the brother of Adalbert, is devoted first Archevêque of Gniezno
1000: Synod of the Church in Gniezno - with the authorization of the Pope Sylvestre II, Boleslas Ier Valiant the opens a Archidiocèse in Gniezno (concerning Rome and not of the Archevêché S of Germany) and évêché S with Cracow, Kołobrzeg and Wrocław - Meeting of Gniezno: Othon III of the Holy roman Empire goes in pilgrimage in Gniezno, accepts the creation of the archbishop's palace and proclaims Boleslas Frater and Cooperator Imperii (Brother and collaborator of the Empire)
1018: a fire devastates the city and the cathedral
1025: Boleslas Ier Valiant the is crowned king de Pologne by the archbishop of Gniezno
1038: the Czech destroy Gniezno and steal the Relique S of Saint Adalbert
1076: crowning of Boleslas II the Generous
1138: Gniezno becomes the seat of Mieszko III the Old man, who reigns on the Large-Poland after the partition of Poland decided by his father Boleslas III the Stop-Chest
1238: Gniezno obtains the urban privileges (Droit of Magdeburg)
1295: Przemysl II is crowned king de Pologne
1300: the king of Bohemia Venceslas II is made crown king de Pologne
XIV^e century: the cathedral is restored in the Gothic style
1419: the archbishops of Gniezno are high with the dignity of primacy of Poland
1427: Gniezno obtains the right to make trade
XV^e century: Gniezno becomes an important center for the Commerce of wool clothing and the furs
1613: the city is devastated by a fire
1655: the city is destroyed by the Swedish
1793: Gniezno is attached to the Prussia (Second division of Poland)
1794: Gniezno takes part in the Insurrection of Kosciuszko
1806: Gniezno is delivered Prussian occupation by Napoleon and integrates the Duché of Warsaw
1815: Gniezno is taken again by Prussia and becomes a city of the Grand-Duché of Poznań
1819: the city is devastated by a fire
1872: a railway line connects Gniezno to Poznań and Inowrocław

Gniezno with the XIXe siècle

1918: rising of the Large-Poland which releases Gniezno of the Prussian yoke
1925: a monument with the glory of Boleslas Ier Valiant the is high in front of the cathedral
1939 - 1945: German occupation
1956: creation of the museum of archeology which will become the museum of the beginnings of the Polish state
1979: pilgrimage of Jean-Paul II on the tomb of Saint Adalbert
1994: Gniezno receives the title of “Gniezno, the town of saint Adalbert”
1997: second pilgrimage of Jean-Paul II in Gniezno
1999: creation of the county ( powiat ) of Gniezno

Royal crownings with Gniezno

April 18th 1025: Boleslas Ier Valiant the
December 25th 1025: Mieszko II Lambert
December 25th 1076: Boleslas II the Generous
June 26th 1295: Przemysl II
July 25th 1300: Venceslas II

Tourism

The city is an important arts center. Certain places are impossible to circumvent:

the Lech hill with the cathedral (sarcophagus of Adalbert saint, Carries of Gniezno out of bronze, Gothic gate with scenes of the Last Judgment) and the museum of the archdiocese where treasures of passed of Poland are preserved.
the hill of the Virgin with the old city, the churches, the remainders of the ramparts of the medieval city, the cloister and the church Jean Saint.
the museum of the origins of the Polish state, the water tower, old cemeteries.

Economy

In addition to tourism, the city developed industrially since the XIX^e century. It is an important economic center today:

light industries: shoes, clothing, galantery, tannery
food industries: sugar refineries, flour-millings, dairies, slaughter-houses, etc
production of tractors, machines and systems of packing, machines of construction

The most important company names PHUP Andrzej Szeszycki .

External bond

Official site of the city

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