The celebrations will include outdoor spectacles, historical reenactments, festivals, academic conferences and religious ceremonies centered around the city of Gniezno, where the coronations took place.
The official program was presented at a press conference at the Polish History Museum in Warsaw, which is partnering with Gniezno in organizing the festivities.
Marcin Napiórkowski, director of the museum, emphasized the importance of decentralizing historical memory in Poland, saying: “History did not begin in Warsaw; it unfolded across the entire country, and there is no Polish history without a journey to Gniezno.”
A key highlight of the celebrations will be a massive outdoor historical performance depicting the early years of Poland. More than 100 actors and volunteers will take part, with 12,000 spectators expected at each showing over two weekends in August.
Other major events include a reenactment of the royal coronations and a special edition of the Royal Arts Festival, featuring a reconstructed medieval town where visitors can experience life as it was 1,000 years ago.
The Polish lower house of parliament, the Sejm, has officially designated 2025 as the Year of the Millennium of the First Kings’ Coronations.
A joint session of the Sejm and the Senate, the upper house, will be held in Gniezno on April 26 to mark the occasion.
A coronation mass will also be celebrated in honor of Saint Adalbert, one of Poland’s patron saints.
The traditional Gniezno Summit, an international gathering of political and religious leaders, will take place in September.
The Polish Tourism Organization sees the millennium celebrations as an opportunity to promote Poland internationally. Its president, Rafał Szmytke, said that the organization will focus on cultural tourism campaigns in neighboring countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic and Nordic nations.
“Outdoor events and historical reenactments are gaining popularity, and I am confident that these celebrations will enhance Poland’s reputation as a fascinating tourist destination,” he said.
Adding a modern twist to the commemoration, organizers have created a digital marketing campaign featuring an artificial intelligence-generated depiction of Bolesław the Brave inviting audiences to join the festivities.
Full details on the events are available on the official website, www.Gniezno2025.pl, and on the social media page FB/Gniezno2025.
Historical records indicate that Bolesław the Brave was crowned Poland’s first king on April 18, 1025, in Gniezno Cathedral. His coronation was a pivotal moment that affirmed Poland’s independence and raised its status in medieval Europe. However, his reign was short-lived; he died on June 17, 1025.
His son, Mieszko II, was crowned later that year on December 25. Mieszko’s reign was turbulent, marked by conflicts that eventually forced him into exile in 1031.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP