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Mieszko I of Poland & Doubravka of Bohemiaand Baptism of Poland

Mieszko I of Poland (930 – 25 May 992)

The first Christian ruler of Poland, Mieszko I is considered the de facto creator of the Polish state. Father of Bolesław I the Brave – first king of Poland.Mieszko I of Poland, by Jan Matejko

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Doubravka of Bohemia or Dobrawa, Dąbrówka (Czech: Doubravka Přemyslovna, Polish: Dobrawa Przemyślidka, Dąbrówka Przemyślidka) (ca. 940/45 – 977) was a Bohemian princess of the Přemyslid dynasty and by marriage Duchess of the Polans.

Dobrawa of Bohemia, by Jan Matejko

Doubravka of Bohemia (ca. 940/45 – 977)

Doubravka of Bohemia was the daughter of Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke

of Bohemia.In the second half of 964 an alliance

between Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia, and Mieszko I of Poland was concluded. In order to consolidate the

agreement, in 965 Boleslav I's daughter Dobrawa was married to

Mieszko I. There was a difference of religion between the spouses; she was

a Christian, he was a pagan.

Two independent sources attribute to Dobrawa an important role in the conversion to Christianity of Mieszko I and Poland. The first is the chronicles of Thietmar, who was born two years before the death of Dobrawa. He wrote that the Bohemian princess tried to persuade her husband to accept Christianity (even at the cost of breaking their marriage and with it the Polish-Bohemian Alliance). In the end, she finally obtained the conversion of Mieszko I and with him, of all Poland.

In turn, the 12th century chronicler Gallus Anonymus says that Dobrawa came to Poland surrounded by secular and religious dignitaries. She agreed to marry Mieszko I providing that he was baptized. The Polish ruler accepted, and only then was able to marry the Bohemian princess.

However, modern historians allege that the baptism of Mieszko I was dictated by political benefits and should not be attributed to any action of Dobrawa, who according to the modern view had virtually no role in the conversion of her husband. They note that the conversion of Mieszko I thanks to Dobrawa formed part of the tradition of the Church which stressed the conversion of Pagan rulers through the influence of women.

Dobrawa , by Jan Matejko

Baptism of Poland Baptism of Poland and the personal baptism of

Mieszko I, the first ruler of the Polish state, and much of his court took place on the Holy Saturday of 14 April 966, although the exact location is still

disputed by historians, with the cities of Poznań and Gniezno being the most likely sites.

Christianization of Poland A.D. 966. by Jan Matejko

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.

Contemporary mural in Gniezno commemorating the baptism of Poland.

According to earlier sources, Dobrawa urged her husband Mieszko I of Poland to accept baptism in 966, the year after their marriage. Modern historians believe, however, that the change of religion by Mieszko was one of the points discussed in the Polish-Bohemian agreement concluded soon before his marriage with Dobrawa. Her role in his conversion is not considered now to be as important as it is often represented in medieval chronicles.

Relief of Doubravka and Mieszko Iin the Royal Gniezno Cathedral.

Gniezno was the first capital city of Poland.

Mieszko I and Dobrawa were parents of Bolesław I the Brave, the first king of

Poland

Imaginary portrait by Marcello Bacciarelli.

19th century illustration: Mieszko, a former pagan, aided by his Roman Catholic Czech wife Dobrawa, daughter of Boleslaus I, becomes an evangelist of Roman Catholicism

The Royal Gniezno Cathedral

Marble board, inside the Cathedral,commemorating Doubravka of Bohemia,wife of first Christian ruler of Poland,

Mieszko I

Doubravka with her husband Mieszko I of Poland on a 100zł-coinmade in 1966 – 1000 anniversary of Christianity in Poland.

Polish 20-zlotych-note from 2015

Bust of Dobrawa in the Krasinski palace, Ursynów, Warsaw

Polish 2-zlotych-note from 1936

Mieszko I on Polish notes

Present 10-zlotych-note

Looking for similarietieseTwinning projectSourses:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubravka_of_Bohemiahttps://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobrawa_Przemy%C5%9Blidkahttps://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubravka_P%C5%99emyslovnahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mieszko_I_of_Poland https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mieszko_Ihttps://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%9B%C5%A1ek_Ihttps://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrzest_Polskihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianization_of_Polandhttp://banknotypolskie.pl/postacie/20/Mieszko-I/