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The Baptism of Poland (Polish: Chrzest Polski) was the event in 966 that signified the beginning of the Christianization of Poland, commencing with the baptism of Mieszko I, who was the first ruler of the Polish state. The next significant step in Poland's adoption of Christianity was the establishment of various ecclesiastical organs in the country during the 10th and 11th centuries. This included the building of cathedrals and the appointment of clergy. This date should not be confused as the independence day of Poland.
In adopting Christianity as the state religion, Mieszko sought to achieve several personal goals. He saw Poland's baptism as a way of strengthening his hold on power (through the use of the religion's medieval divine right doctrine), as well as using it as a unifying force for the Polish people. The exact place of Mieszko's baptism is disputed, historians have alternately argued that Gniezno, Poznań, Cologne or even Rome was the site of the event.
Mieszko's action proved highly successful; by the 13th century, Roman Catholicism had become the dominant religion in Poland.
In 1966, People's Republic of Poland witnessed large festivities of the 1000-year anniversairy of those events. Norman Davies in his book God's Playground writes how the communist state and Poland's church differently celebrated those events. The Church celebrated the 1000 years of Christianity in Poland ("SACRUM POLONIAE MILLENIUM"); however the communist government celebrated the secular 1000 years of Polish State ("TYSIACLECIE PAŃSTWA POLSKIEGO").[1]
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