History of the Cathedral Island

On Ostrów Island one thousand years ago there was one of the most important centres of the new-created Poland state in that time. In the 1oth century it was full of political, economic, and religious life. Piasts, the first, historicalrulers of Poland, chose the location which intersected the important trade and transport routes. Basing on the habitants of this island, they created a complex system of the stronghold fortifications which were a demonstration of their authority. On Ostrów they erected a stone residence – the seat of the dukes and the kings an they build the first Polish cathedral, in which they were buried.

Today in a quiet and charming corner of Poznań, Ostrów Tumski, in order to discover the traces of the importance and the greatness of the former stronghold, one has to dive 6 metres deep into the ground and trace together with the archaeologists the relics of the amazing structure of Poznań fortress. In the Archaeological Reserve Gebius loci one meets the wit and the creativity of the Middle Ages. Centuries ago our ancestors – people with great charisma and being able of enacting wonderful ideas into life as well as encouraging other people to noble ideas, inculcated a good spirit in that place for other generations to be inspired with good ideas.