Duchy of Gniezno
Duchy of Gniezno | |||||||||
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| 1177–1279 | |||||||||
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Coat of arms
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Map of the Greater Poland with the political division. | |||||||||
| Status | Fiefdom within the Duchy of Poland (1177–1227) Independent state (1227–1279) | ||||||||
| Capital | Gniezno | ||||||||
| Official languages | |||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||||||
| Government | feudal duchy | ||||||||
| Duke | |||||||||
• 1177–1181 (first) | Casimir II the Just | ||||||||
• 1273–1279 (last) | Przemysł II | ||||||||
| Historical era | High Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Partition of the Duchy of Greater Poland | 1177 | ||||||||
• Unification of the Duchy of Greater Poland | 1279 | ||||||||
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The Duchy of Gniezno was a feudal district duchy in Greater Poland, with its territorial and administrative core in the Gniezno Land — the region surrounding the city of Gniezno. Its capital was Gniezno. The duchy was established in 1177, following the partition of the Duchy of Greater Poland after a rebellion against Mieszko III. Duke Casimir II the Just of the Piast dynasty became its first ruler.
Initially, Gniezno remained a fiefdom within the broader Duchy of Poland — a term commonly applied to the fragmented realm, which some sources continue to refer to as the Kingdom of Poland — until 1227, when Gniezno gained independence as a duchy. It existed in this form until 1279, when it was united with the duchies of Kalisz and Poznań under the rule of Przemysł II, forming a reconstituted Duchy of Greater Poland.