Duchy of Greater Poland

The Duchy of Greater Poland emerged in the 12th century on the territory of today's Greater Poland after the division of the inheritance of the Kingdom of Poland in 1138 duchies by the testament of Bolesław III Duke. Wrymouth.

Greater Poland (Polish: Wielkopolska ) was originally the nucleus of the West Slavic tribe of the Polans and original core territory of the Polish state in the catchment area of the Warta River with the main festivals Poznan and Gniezno. With the inclusion of more and more areas in the Polish federation in the 13th century, the need arose, the old tribal province of Polans by the introduction of the name " Magna Polonia " in the sense of " Polonia Maior " ( older Poland) to distinguish them from new acquisitions.

First Duke of Greater Poland Mieszko was, one of the sons of Boleslaw the Wry-mouthed. He was the founder of the great Polish line of the Piast dynasty. In the second half of the 12th century the Duchy succumbed to the feudal particularism. He subsequently produced three sub- lords around the cities of Poznan, Gniezno and Kalisz, so a political weakening of the region. Due to the resulting power vacuum came the great Polish duchies in the first half of the 13th century until the Mongol invasion of 1241 in the sphere of influence of the Silesian Piast dynasty.

All three sub- dominions ( duchies ) were united in 1279 under Duke Przemysław. This planned a unification of the politically fragmented Poland under his leadership. His coronation as King of Poland in 1295 should strengthen its authority and supremacy in the fight against competing side lines of the Piast dynasty and Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia for the time being. A year later he died as a result of an aristocratic conspiracy, which was in alliance with the Margrave of Brandenburg and the Kingdom of Bohemia. With the large Polish Przemysław line of the Piast dynasty died out in the male line.

In the years 1296-1314 the Duchy was under different rulers until finally Duke Władysław I the Elbow- in Greater Poland from 1314 finally prevailed as sovereign.

The duchy was dissolved as a feudal territory domination and 1320 divided into two provinces: one based in Poznan, the other in Kalisch ( Palatinatus Posnaniensis and Palatinatus Calisiensis ). The provinces were from there to the main administrative regions of the united Kingdom of Poland to the second partition of Poland in 1793.

After the establishment of the First Polish Republic, in 1569, a large province called Greater Poland was created, which also Masovia and Royal Prussia included except the eponymous landscape.