1025: THE BIRTH OF A KINGDOM

Our exhibition ‘1025: The Birth of a Kingdom’ is a unique opportunity to learn about the realities of culture and everyday life in 11th-century Poland. Together, we will look not only at the symbolism of Romanesque art, but also at the broad processes that shaped our identity: Christianisation or Poland’s complex relations with the Empire. At the same time, it will be an opportunity to take a closer look at the lives of our ancestors: we will learn, for example, about their dietary habits or everyday uses of technology. The story will be complemented by infographics and olfactory and tactile stations, showing, for example, the properties of different types of wood and the uses and applications of tar.

The exhibition will be divided into five parts, whose narratives complement one another. It opens with the ‘Kingdom’ module, telling the story of the landscape and social structure of Poland in the 11th century. The heart of the story is the ‘Gniezno - the heart of the kingdom’ section, which presents the most valuable exhibits. These are accompanied by two complementary modules: ‘The Three Kings’, dedicated to the achievements of the monarchs crowned in the 11th century, and ‘The King and the Cross’, where the story focuses on religion, Christianisation and pagan rituals. Finally, as a kind of epilogue, we present the ‘Return of the King’ module, where we tell the story of the notion of Poland as a kingdom and its revival at the end of the 12th century.

All of this will be accompanied by a comprehensive educational programme: museum lessons, calligraphy classes, comic-book or illumination workshops, as well as a concert of old music with a contemporary approach and interpretation. More information about the exhibition ‘1025: The Birth of a Kingdom’ will be available soon.