The beginnings of the Polish State relate to the history of Poznan, especially to Ostrów Tumski – an island on the Warta River which is part of modern Poznan. The photo shows the interior of this first Polish cathedral. It is probably here that Prince Mieszko I was the first to be baptized and inscribed Poland on the pages of Roman Catholic church history. The marble of the cathedral floor is engraved with the names of the Polish kings for whom Poznan was home and Poznan Cathedral a place of eternal rest.
The first Poznan Cathedral was probably erected in 968 after Mieszko I received baptism. As it was the first cathedral in Poland, it could receive the patronage of St. Peter, just like St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The cathedral stands on the site of the first prince’s palace, whose ruins can be visited in the basement of the church.
The Cathedral itself has been destroyed by fires and wars for centuries. Throughout its history it was rebuilt in Romanesque, then Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical style. Until the time after the Second World War, when it was restored to its Gothic character.
