* 966 – After his marriage to the Christian Dobrawa of Bohemia, the pagan ruler of the Polans, Mieszko I, converts to Christianity, an event considered to be the founding of the Polish state.

According to earlier sources, Dobrawa urged her husband Mieszko I of Poland to accept baptism in 966, the year after their marriage.

The only indication is communicated by the chronicler Cosmas of Prague, who stated that the Bohemian princess at the time of her marriage with Mieszko I was an old woman.

In 1895 Oswald Balzer refuted reports that previous to her marriage with Mieszko I, Dobrawa was married to Gunther, Margrave of Merseburg and they had a son, Gunzelin.

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.

Two independent sources attribute Dobrawa's important role in the conversion to Christianity of Mieszko I and Poland.

It the end, she finally obtained the conversion of Mieszko I and with him, of all Poland.

She agreed to marry Mieszko I providing that he was baptized.

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 them 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's marriage cemented the alliance of Mieszko I with Bohemia, which continued even after her death.

On 21 September 967 Mieszko I was assisted by Bohemians in the decisive Battle against the Volinians led by Wichmann the Younger.

The marriage of Mieszko I and Dobrawa produced three children:

There is an hypothesis asserting the existence of another daughter of Mieszko I who was married to a Pomeranian Slavic Prince.

Also, a theory has been advanced ( apparently recorded by Thietmar and supported by Oswald Balzer in 1895 ) that Vladivoj, who ruled as Duke of Bohemia during 1002 – 1003, was another son of Dobrawa and Mieszko I.

Poland is not mentioned by name, but reference is made to Dagome and Ote ( Mieszko I and his wife, Oda von Haldensleben ) and their sons in 991, placing their land ( called " Schinesghe ") under the protection of the Apostolic See.

" Another interpretation is that " Dagome iudex " is a corruption of " Ego Mesco dux " (" I, Prince Mieszko ").

First, it does not explain why Mieszko I placed his state under the protection of the Pope.

" Finally, Mieszko I is not referred to as " Dagome " in any other document.

Dark pink area represents Poland at end of rule of Mieszko I of Poland | Mieszko I ( 992 ); light pink area added ( northwest lost ) during reign of Bolesław I the Brave | Bolesław I ( died 1025 ).

" It also found that Cosmas confuses Dobrawa with Mieszko I's second wife Oda, who at the time of her marriage was around 19 – 25 years old, a relatively advanced age for a bride according to the customs of the Middle Ages.

See also Duke Mieszko II the Fat.

After his father's death, Mieszko inherited a vast territory, which in addition to Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Silesia and Gdansk Pomerania also included Western Pomerania, as well as Lusatia, Red Ruthenia and territory of present-day Slovakia.

Mieszko also had a younger full-brother, Otto.

Mieszko II was not only imprisoned but also castrated, which was to be a punishment to Bolesław I the Brave, who blinded Duke Boleslaus III the Red ( Oldřich's brother ) thirty years before.

:: Poland was indeed blind before, knowing nothing about the true God or the principles of the Catholic faith, but thanks to the enlightenment of Mieszko the country also had become enlightened, because when he adopted the faith, the Polish nation was saved from death and destruction.

Besides his son ’ s name was also Mieszko and it is hard to believe that he was also blind.

The chronicle of Thietmar poses some problems of interpretation of the information regarding the attack of Margrave Gero on the Slavic tribes, as a result of which he purportedly subordinated to the authority of the Emperor Lusatia and the Selpuli ( meaning the Słupian tribes ) and also Mieszko with his subjects.

On the other hand, the supporters of the Gero's invasion theory believe that the Margrave did actually carry out a successful invasion, as a result of which Mieszko I was forced to pay tribute to the Emperor and also was compelled to adopt Christianity through the German Church.

As a result, in 965 Mieszko I married his daughter Dobrawa ( also named Dobrava, Doubravka or Dąbrówka ).

:: There arrived ( at the Diet of Quedlinburg ) also, among many other princes: Mieszko, Mściwoj and Boleslav and promised to support him under oath as the king and ruler.

Mieszko I, the first historical ruler of Poland, also appeared as " Dagome, King of the Wends " ( Old Norse: Vindakonungr ).

The future marriage of Bolesław I's son Mieszko to Richeza (), niece of Otto III, was also probably agreed upon at this point.

Mieszko I of Poland also submitted to Otto II's overlordship.

He also associated the Palatine dynasty to his Eastern policies, and mediated the marriage of Ezzo's daughter Richeza with the heir to the Polish Duke Mieszko II.

The Duchy of Silesia and the Seniorate Province at Kraków were taken by Bolesław, who also received the title of High Duke, the western Duchy of Greater Poland was retained by his brother Mieszko III, and Henry finally received his long-promised Land of Sandomierz.

Boleslaw and Mieszko also militarily supported the Germans in the fight against the reluctant West Slavic Lutici tribes, considerably contributing to the stability of German domination over the middle Spree region.

Casimir was supported in his rebellion by his elder brother Duke Mieszko III the Old of Greater Poland, the magnate Jaksa of Miechów and Sviatoslav, son of Voivode Piotr Włostowic, as well as the Archbishops of Gniezno and Kraków ; also, almost all Leeser Polish nobility was on his side.

Mieszko I, Poland's first documented ruler based in Greater Poland, had successfully campaigned in the Cedynia area, then a West Slavic tribal territory also coveted by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and German nobles.

Mieszko was High Duke of all Poland at various times between 1173 and his death in 1202, by which time he had also gained control of Gniezno and Kalisz, thus making Poznań a centre of power in a region covering the whole of Greater Poland.

This was most probable, and was reflected in the Bull issued by Pope Innocent III on 9 June 1210, where the Holy See demanded the restitution of all the hereditary rights of the Silesian branch according to Bolesław III's testament and also excommunicated Leszek I the White ; this edict was made by the request of an anonymous Duke of Silesia, which could have only been Henry I the Bearded ( because Mieszko I used the title of Duke of Raciborz-Opole ).

Miecław ( also Masław, Mojsław and Miesław, ?- 1047 ), in the Latin of Gallus Meczzlavus, was a pincera ( i. e. cup-bearer or butler ) of Duke Mieszko II of Poland, and a rebel who tried to detach himself and Masovia from the power of the Polish duke.

In 1172, Mieszko began the open rebellion against his brother ; also, he supported Bolesław's eldest son, Jarosław, who was forced to became a priest thanks to the intrigues of his stepmother Christina, who wished her sons to be the only heirs.