Poland: Millennium of the First Coronation

New contribution to Medievally Speaking:

A Voice from Poland: Missed Opportunities for the Millennium of the First Coronation (1025-2025)

Piotr Toczyski, Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw, Poland

Abstract: This brief article examines the cultural and political significance of the millennium of Bolesław the Brave’s coronation in 1025, set against a backdrop of Poland’s semi-peripheral position in European history and the enduring global fascination with the Middle Ages. The analysis explores how foundational dates - especially 966 (Christianization) and 1025 (Coronation) - have been remembered, mythologized, and instrumentalized across Polish history. It revisits the 1966 millennium of Mieszko I’s baptism and the simultaneously ongoing film response to the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald to highlight tensions between narratives in state commemoration. The text critiques the lack of contemporary cultural production around the Piast dynasty and the missed opportunity to engage with medieval symbolism in inclusive and reflective ways. By tracing how symbols like the royal sword have shifted from unifying icons to contested emblems, the essay calls for renewed engagement with Poland’s medieval and medievalism heritage - one that acknowledges its ambivalence, narrative gaps, and potential for public dialogue.  READ the FULL ARTICLE @ Medievally Speaking