Polans (western)

The name Polans ( Ruthenian Poljanen ) originally comes from Polan, what was the name of a " field dwellers " in the Old Slavic. In the table of the Bavarian geographer Polans are not mentioned by name.

There was an overwhelmingly rural population. Even in the modern Slavic languages ​​means the field or landscape pole, or Polje and the clearing polana.

With Polans two Slavic tribes are known: in the sources, such as Nestor, eastern Poljanen be mentioned, who lived around the area of present-day Kiev. The Poljanen went during the state formation of Kievan Rus under in other East Slavic tribes. The Western Polans (Polish Polanie ) were the most powerful of West Slavic tribes on the territory of present-day Poland.

During the migration of peoples, the Slavs of eastern Europe coming spread to the Elbe and through the Balkans to present-day southern Greece. Various West Slavs settled around since the 6th century also between the rivers Oder and Bug rivers.

The first -mentioned in historical source princes of Polans, Mieszko I, succeeded by the end of the 10th century between the rivers Oder and Bug rivers, a number of tribal Polans related lechisch speaking peoples to unite under his rule, to Christianize and a well-established in Europe to establish the State, one from the 11th century when Poland (Latin: Polonia ) designated. His son Bolesław I. consolidated the power of the dynasty through territorial expansion. In the act of Gniezno, the Polish Duke learned by Emperor Otto III. the ceremony as a " friend and companion " ( amicus et socius ). Likewise, he has been endowed with the right of investiture, a right which an older papal arrangement according to which only the kings and emperors state. has also been to Poland with the Archdiocese of Gniezno own Ecclesiastical Province founded. 1025, shortly before his death, continued the Duke his domain to the rank of a kingdom by putting on a sent by the Pope crown. from the 11th century the rule space of Polans quickly developed into the most powerful polity in the region and was of ruled a dynasty that is later referred to as the Piast dynasty.