Polska

The beginnings of the pilgrimage movement in Poland are linked to the martyrdom of St
Adalbert in 977 and the pilgrimage to his tomb in Gniezno made by Emperor Otto III in 1000.
At the end of March 997, St Adalbert, as missionary bishop, together with his companions
Radzim-Gaudenty and Bogusz-Benedykt reached Gdansk, situated at the edge of Bolesław
Chrobry’s state. After a few days’ stopover due to his missionary activity, he set off for Prussia,
where he died a martyr’s death on 23 April 997. The ruler of Poland, Bolesław Chrobry, bought
the bishop’s body from the pagans and brought it to Gniezno. Very soon there were accounts of
graces and miracles obtained through Adalbert’s intercession, so the bishop was canonised in
999. The already mentioned pilgrimage of Otto III in March 1000 contributed to the spread of
the cult of Saint Adalbert in the then Christian Europe1
.
Wincenty Kadłubek, the Polish chronicler, called St Adalbert „the most sacred patron of the
Poles”. The grave of the martyred bishop became a meeting place between Poland and Christian
Europe, as well as a place for the integration of Poles with Poles and Poles with the inhabitants
of other European countries, with a special emphasis on the Slavic ones2
. Rulers made
pilgrimages to it, and by the 13th century it was the coronation site of Polish monarchs.
Gniezno, with the saint’s relics, thus became the main pilgrimage site of its time. His cult
reached a European scope and contributed to the revival of the religiosity of both Poles and
inhabitants of other European countries, especially those neighbouring Polish lands3
.