Kiss Gergely
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Gergely KISS: Magdeburg/Poznań and Gniezno The emergence of the Polish ecclesiastical hierarchy and its dichotomy Abstract Key words: At first sight the emergence of the Polish church system was a fairly simple process, the most important phases of which can be regarded as follows. The Polish Duke Mieszko I took allegiance to emperor Otto I in 966, then not much later in 968 the bishopric of Poznań was set up. Three decades later, in 1000 the archbishopric of Gniezno was established, but by that time the bishoprics of Wrocław, Krakow and Kołobrzeg had already existed. Naturally there were changes occuring in the Polish church system later – such as the bishopric of Kołobrzeg ceased to exist at the beginning of the 11th century as a result of the pagan uprisings, or in the 12th century the system of episcopalis got enriched with newer territories, centres as the power of the Polish Duke expanded – yet these dwell on the subject of the present study only indirectly. The main issue is the dichotomy of the church governance in the Polish territories – Magdeburg/Poznań, Gniezno –, which can be explained only with examining the circumstances of how the church centres emerged. As it is well known, the antecedent of the establishment of the bishopric of Poznań to christianize the Polish was the baptism of The study was made with the help of the support of the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA) NN 109690 research proposal. I would like to say thank Norbert Kersken and Dániel Bagi for their help to write this study. Mieszko I,1 which on one hand intended to ensure peace between the Polish Duke and Otto I, on the other hand it provided the emperor with the possibility to expand his influence over a part of the Polish territories in accordance with his ’eastern policy’. The ’eastern policy’ (Ostpolitik) of the emperors of the Holy Roman empire, meaning how they considered the territories to the east, inhabited by the Bohemian, Polish and Hungarian tribes, was not uniform. While in the era of Otto I the central issue of politics was the expansion of the empire (Imperium) in this territory, in case of Otto III it was the expansion of Christianity (Christianitas). Otto I’s ’eastern policy’ meant creating strong German influence, dependence both in the politics and the church; the missions fit into the frames of the imperial church and the early church system emerged as its subordinate.2 Thus it is worth asking if all this reflected and if yes, how in the emergence of the Polish church system. The key to it – in my view- is hidden in clarifying the role of Magdeburg. 1 According to Widukind (cap. 69.) Mieszko was granted the honourable title „the emperor’s friend” with this. The place of the baptism is under debate, Regensburg, Gniezno and Poznań can all be raised. Cf.: Karl VÖLKER.: Kirchengeschichte Polens. Berlin – Leipzig. 1930. (hereafter: VÖLKER 1930) p. 8–10., KEMPF, Friedrich: Die Missionierung der Slawen und Ungarn im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert. In: Handbuch der Kirchengeschichte. Hg. Hubert Jedin. Bd. III/1.: Die mittelalterliche Kirche. Freiburg – Basel – Wien. 1966. 267–283. (hereafter: KEMPF 1966) p. 274–275; Jerzy KŁOCZOWSKY: Die Ausbreitung des Christentums von der Adria bis zur Ostsee: Christianisierung der Slawen, Skandinavier und Ungarn zwischen dem 9. und dem 11. Jahrhundert. In: Bischöfe, Mönche und Kaiser (642–1054). Geschichte des Christentums Bd. 4. Hg. Gilbert DRAGON – Pierre RICHÉ – VAUCHEZ André. Deutsche Ausgabe bearbeitet und herausgeben von Egon BOSHOF. Freiburg – Basel – Wien. 1994. (hereafter: Bischöfe, Mönche und Kaiser) p. 883–920. (hereafter: KŁOCZOWSKY 1994) 898., Jerzy STRZELCZYK: A kereszténység felvétele Lengyelországban az írott források alapján [The Christianization in Poland According to Written Sources]. In: Európa közepe 1000 körül [The Middle of Europe around 1000]. Ed. Alfried WIECZOREK – Hans-Martin HINZ. Stuttgart. 2000. (further on WIECZOREK – HINZ 2000) p. 297–299. (hereafter: STRZELCZYK 2000) 2 Albert BRACKMANN: Die Anfänge der Slawenmission und die Renovatio imperii des Jahres 800. In: Idem: Gesammelte Aufsätze zu seinem 70. Geburtstag am 24. Juni 1941 von Freunden / Fachgenossen und Schülern als Festgabe dargebracht. Weimar. 1941. p. 56–75; Idem: Der „Römische Erneuerungsgedanke” und seine Bedeutung für die Reichspolitik der deutschen Kaiserzeit. In: Ibid. p. 108–139; IDEM: Reichspolitik und Ostpolitik im frühen Mittelalter. In: Ibid. p. 188–210; Idem: Die Ostpolitik Ottos des Grossen. In: Ibid. p. 140–153; Idem: Kaiser Otto III. und die staatliche Umgestaltung Polens und Ungarns. In: Ibid. p. 242–258. Following the trials of conversion tracing back to the 9th century3, it came into the forefront of interest of the Saxon dynasty to bring the eastern and north-eastern borderlands of the empire into political and ecclesiastical subordination. The significant change of the church system of the territories neighbouring the areas of the Elba, Saale and Odera in the mid-10th century served the conversion of the mentioned areas. The establishment of the bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg happened in 948, two decades later there were newer establishments. The bishoprics of Meissen, Merseburg,4 Oldenburg and Zeitz (this latter one was placed in the nearby Naumburg in 1030) emerged in 968. The organistaion of the archbishopric of Magdeburg also fits into this program. In 937 Otto I founded the monastery of St Maurice, then the plan to change it into a centre of mission appeared first in 955, which idea was supported by pope Agapet II. The foundation of the archbishopric in 962 did not succeed despite the support of pope John XII,5 in all probability due to the objection of William the archbishop of Mainz and Bernard the bishop of Halberstadt. In the end, six years later – after the death of the mentioned two prelates- Otto I managed to put across his plan. The synod of Ravenna in 967 gave the permission to set up the 3 See Albert BRACKMANN: Die Anfänge der abendländischen Kulturbewegung in Osteuropa und deren Träger. In: Idem: Gesammelte Aufsätze zu seinem 70. Geburtstag am 24. Juni 1941 von Freunden / Fachgenossen und Schülern als Festgabe dargebracht. Weimar. 1941. p. 76–107. 4 Merseburg ceased to exist for a while in 981, it was reestablished in 1004. Wilhelm PFEIFER: Die Bistümer Prag und Meißen. In: Sacrum Pragense Millenium 973–1973. Königstein. 1973. (Archiv für Kirchengeschichte von Böhmen-Mähren-Schlesien Band III.) p. 77–109. (hereafter: PFEIFFER 1973), here: p. 78. To sum up: Michel PARISSE: Die Reichskirche (um 900 bis 1054). In: Bischöfe, Mönche und Kaiser. p. 797– 820. (hereafter: PARISSE 1994), here: p. 797–800. In details: Walter SCHLESINGER: Kirchengeschichte Sachsens im Mittelalter. Band I. Von den Anfängen kirchlicher Verkündigung bis zum Ende des Investiturstreites. Band II. Das Zeitalter der Deutschen Ostsiedlung (1100–1300). Graz. 1962. (Mitteldeutsche Forschungen 27/I–II.) (hereafter: SCHLESINGER 1962) I. p. 21–51., 60–83. 5 „[…] volumus et per hanc privilegii paginam iubemus, ut Magdaburgense monasterium in regno Saxonum iuxta Albia(m) constructum […] in archiepiscopalem transferatur sedem, que per subditos suffraganeos totum Dei gregem regere et gubernare valeat. Volumus et per hanc privilegii paginam iubemus, ut Merseburgense monasterium […] in episcopalem delegetur sedem, que Magdaburgensi sit subdita sedi. […] Volumus etiam, carissimi confratres, […] ut Moguntiensis, Treuerensis, Coloniensis, Salsaburgensis, Hamaburgensis ecclesie archipresules Magdaburgensis monasterii in archiepiscopalem et Merseburgensis in episcopalem translationis sedem totis cordis corporisque viribus consentanei fautoresque presistant.” Harald ZIMMERMANN: Papsturkunden 896–1046. I. 896–996., II. 996–1046., III. Register. Wien. 1988–1989. (hereafter: PU) I. p. 283–284. archbihopric and ordered the bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg under the jurisdiction of Magdeburg and empowered the new archbishop and his descendents to present bishops for appropriate places, naming Merseburg, Zeitz, Meissen.6 Following this on 18 October 968 pope John XIII confirmed the foundation of the archbishopric in his bull, this time with the consent of Hatto II the archbishop of Mainz and Hildeward the bishop of Halberstadt.7 6 „Ipsi namque anno, una nobiscum favente et consentiente invictissimo predicto imperatore, acta est magna sinodus Rauenne duodecima kalendas Magii. […] Nos vero […] dignum duximus, […] ut Magdaburch sita iuxta Albiam fluvium […] deinceps metropolis sit et nominetur […]. Suffraganeos vero eidem metropoli omnes unanimiter preordinavimus Brandenburgensem episcopum et Hauelbergensem, his iunctis, quibuscunque imperator voluerit, in urbe Magdaburch archiepiscopus consecretur. Postea vero idem archiepiscopus et successores eius habeant potestatem per congrua loca […] episcopos ordinare, nominative nunc et presentaliter Merseburc, Cici et Misni […].” PU I. p. 347–348. 7 „Igitur quia gloriosissimus spiritualis Otto imperator augustus civitatem quam Magadaburg dicunt, in confinio saxonum et Sclauonorum, in ripa fluminis Albie, in parrochia scilicet Halberstatensis episcopi fundavit et ecclesiam inibi construxit, canonicos constituit, ad quorum subsidium satis contulit, et innumeram multitudinem Sclauorum ad divine religionis cultum conduxit, confratres Hatto, sancte Magunciensis ecclesie archiepiscopus, et Hidiuuardus Halberstatensis ecclesie episcopus, et comprovinciales episcopi, sicut per consentaneas et petitorias litteras ab ipsis propriis manibus roboratas, que in presentia nostra