Opening of Exhibition 1025: THE BIRTH OF A KINGDOM

The extraordinary set of more than 500 early medieval exhibits tells a unique story about the origins of our state. The exhibition is an opportunity to see in a single place archaeological artefacts related to everyday life, medicine or non-Christian beliefs, as well as world-class relics of goldsmithery from the royal treasury of the Piast dynasty. Among them, there is no shortage of artefacts normally not on public display.

The festive opening was attended by representatives of the museums co-organising the exhibition: Director of the Gniezno Archdiocese Museum Bartosz Przybyła, Deputy Director for Programming of the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica (MFP) Dr Antoni Pelczyk and Auxiliary Bishop of the Gniezno Archdiocese Radosław Orchowicz.

PHM Director Marcin Napiórkowski thanked the exhibition’s curators from the Polish History Museum, Dr Tomasz Borowski and Agnieszka Leszkowicz, as well as the curator from the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica Dr Andrzej Kowalczyk.

Its creators have opted for an exhibition telling a story of a Piast kingdom in five modules. These include such monuments of goldsmithery as the silver ‘royal’ chalice from Trzemeszno and the Płock diadem set with rubies, sapphires and pearls. Precious medieval objects also include a gold ring with topaz found in the vaults of Gniezno Cathedral, precious textiles such as a chasuble from Kwieciszewo and ornate manuscripts such as the Codex Pretiosus written in gold in the 11th century. A unique object is a silver tin containing the relics of St Adalbert. The exhibition’s narrative is supplemented by interactive stands, including ones involving the senses of smell and touch, as well as multimedia, audio stations and infographics.

The exhibition is open for visitors until 29 June 2025.

It enjoys the honorary patronage of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Hanna Wróblewska and the honorary patronage of the Primate of Poland, Archbishop Wojciech Polak.

Co-Organisers: Gniezno Archdiocese Museum and the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica

Substantive cooperation: Michał Zambrzycki (PHM), Maria Więckowska-Sztark (PHM), Teresa Krzysztofiak (MFP)

Coordination: Weronika Krzemień, Iwona Jesionowska

Exhibition design and execution: New Amsterdam

Media patrons: Polskie Radio SA, TVP Historia, Polish Press Agency, Gość Niedzielny, Mówią Wieki, historia.org.pl, Do Rzeczy Historia, dzieje.pl, onet.pl

The exhibition is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the task ‘The delivery of two temporary exhibitions (1025: The Birth of a Kingdom and A Decade of Breakthroughs)’.