The Church and Cistercians in Medieval Poland: Foundations, Documents, People

Description

Translated by Agnieszka Tokarczuk. Edited by Darius von Güttner-Sporzyński and Matthew Firth, with the assistance of Magdalena Biniaś-Szkopek and Robert Tomczak In this volume, the research of Józef Dobosz, one of Poland's leading historians of the Middle Ages, is made accessible in English for the first time. It brings together nineteen studies focused on the role of the Church, the Cistercian Order, and other religious institutions in the history of the Piast realm from which Poland emerged. The introduction offers a broad outline of the first two centuries of the rule of the Piast dynasty after the Baptism of Poland in 966 until the fragmentation of the Piast patrimony during the twelfth century. The subsequent essays examine the circumstances of the foundation of Poland's leading Cistercian monasteries in Sulejow, Jedrzejow, Wachock, Owinska, and Lekno. The author analyses the means of their establishment, evaluates the existing sources, and places these within the context of the Piast dynasty's economic, political, and social policies. The studies offer an in-depth analysis of the motivations of the leading dynasts, magnates, and prelates in supporting the mission of the Church in Poland and enabling further embedding of Christianity across all strata of the society. The author examines the oldest Polish documents related to Cistercian monasteries and canons regular (in particular foundation charters) including early medieval charter forgeries. The volume's key conclusions about the impact of Christianity on nascent Poland are based on a detailed examination of medieval charters, the role of scriptoria, identities of significant people of the Church, and the wider historical record. List of Illustrations 7 Abbreviations 9 Introduction 11 Translation of Names and Conventions Used in This Volume 15 Chapter 1: The Church and Christianity in Poland before 1300 17 Part I. Foundations Chapter 2: The Piasts, the Premonstratensians and Other Religious Orders of Canons Regular in the Twelfth Century 45 Chapter 3 The Earliest Evidence for Kazimierz II as Patron and Founder 57 Chapter 4: The Foundation of Łekno Abbey in the Context of Twelfth-Century Polish Cistercian Institutions 75 Chapter 5: The Foundation Process and the Early Endowment of Jędrzejów Abbey 89 Chapter 6: The Circumstances of the Founding of the Cistercian Monastery at Sulejów 123 Chapter 7: The Founder and the Beginnings of the Cistercian Monastery at Wąchock 133 Chapter 8: Churches in the Endowments to Polish Cistercian Monasteries in the Twelfth and Early Thirteenth Centuries 145 Chapter 9: The Foundation of Owińska Abbey in the Light of the Earliest Written Records 153 Part II. Documents Chapter 10: The Written Document in Medieval Poland 163 Chapter 11: Research on the Documents and Scriptoria of the Polish Cistercians 173 Chapter 12: Forgeries as a Subject of Research of Polish Diplomatics of the Middle Ages 189 Chapter 13: Legitimisation of Forged Documents in Twelfth- and Thirteenth-Century Poland 199 Chapter 14: The False Thirteenth-Century Documents of the Cistercian Abbeys at Sulejów and Jędrzejów 207 Chapter 15: The Diploma of Mieszko III for the Canons Regular in Trzemeszno (28 April 1145) 219 Chapter 16: The Foundation Charter of the Cistercian Abbey at Łekno 235 Part III. People Chapter 17: Maur, Bishop of Kraków 263 Chapter 18: Archbishop Janik and His Successors: Preparation for the Reform of Henryk Kietlicz 269 Chapter 19: Thirteenth-Century Abbots of the Cistercian Abbey at Wąchock 283 Chapter 20: The Cistercians in Małopolska and their Position in the Economy and Culture of Thirteenth-Century Poland 291 Bibliography 299 Index 333