Poznań in the early Middle Ages
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Date
2021-12
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Faculty of Archaeology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
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Abstract
The information contained in the oldest written sources reveals that Poznań was the
seat of the Bishop of St. Peter’s Church and emphasises the military strength of the
stronghold during the reign of Bolesław the Brave (Chrobry). They do not, however, provide
any data about the size, fortifications, or development of the area covered by the stronghold
or about the processes that transformed its buildings. As the written sources seem laconic,
archaeologists must rely on the results of their research to reconstruct a picture of how the
stronghold functioned. They reveal that in the second half of the 10 th century, the prince/duke
possessed a stone palas in the stronghold of Poznań with a separate reception hall, chancellery
office, and treasury, as well as a stone palace chapel used for private devotion. Adjacent to the
palas was a wooden building that was a goldsmith’s workshop – one of the specialized work-
shops that fulfilled the needs of the court. The nearby paved square was probably surrounded
by other buildings serving as courtly workshops. The second section of the stronghold,
adjacent to the east, contained in its centre the cathedral church and the buildings that be-
longed to wealthy people associated with the ruler who performed military and administrative
functions on his behalf. The third (northern) segment of the complex was probably intended
for economic purposes. On the other hand, the fortified site of Zagórze was inhabited by a
group of people who performed service functions for the rest of the stronghold’s inhabitants.
There is no question, therefore, that Poznań was a mighty fortalice that guarded approaches
to the interior of the state, a stronghold which had administrative, economic, and sacral
functions that was the residence of the first Piasts and constituted the main point of support in
the management of their domain.
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Keywords
Poznań, early Middle Ages, palace and chapel complex, residence of the first Piast dynasty rulers
Citation
Treasures of Time: Research of the Faculty of Archaeology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2021) D. Żurkiewicz (Ed.). pp. 370-385.
ISBN
978-83-946591-9-6