Mieszko I of Poland

Mieszko I (c. 935 – May 25, 992) was a duke of the Poles and the first Christian ruler of Poland. He was father of Boleslaw I, first Polish king. His political masterpiece is called "The Baptism of Poland". He got a baptism from the bishop of Bohemia, which was a German Fiefdom.

Mieszko I of Poland

Family

He was a son of the Siemomysł, the ruler of Polans, and grandson of the Lestek,

Mieszko Mieszkowic, Świętosława, the queen of the Vikings and the Grandfather of Cnut the Great, the king of the Vikings, Mieszko Mieszkowic, Lambert Mieszkowic and Vladivoj - the Duke of Bohemia.

Politics

Mieszko was a great politician, an example of his politician and strategist genius was the fact that he adopted Christianity from the Bishop from Bohemia, which was a German fiefdom, and he stopped most of the attacks of Vielets, Bohemians and Germans. He was also a big friend of the Holy Roman Empire's Emperor. He conquered almost all of the terrain of today's Poland and he united all of the Polish tribes in one country, with the capital in Gniezno.

Blindness

Gallus Anonymus writes that Mieszko was blind until his 7th birthday. That information was used by later chroniclers, but it's probably just an allegory.

Catholicism

Mieszko was the first catholic ruler in Poland, he married Dobrawa of Bohemia and after that got baptised.

References

1. Ilustrowany Poczet Królów i Książąt Polskich