18. Aug 2025

Gniezo - Pobieziska

Photo 1: Wall painting in Gniezno depicting the baptism of Duke Mieszko I in 966, the first Christian baptism in Poland. It was a pivotal event that marked the official adoption of Christianity by the Polish state and the beginning of its Christianization process. This historical moment connected Poland to the community of Christian Europe, influencing its political, cultural, and religious identity for centuries to come. Mieszko I was the father of Bolesław I the Brave who was then later crowned as the first king of Poland.

Photo 2: The baptism took place on the small island of Ostrów on Lake Lednica. I walked by that lake today and went an extra 2 kilometers to see the site where the baptism took place. Unfortunately a museum was built in front of it and the museum does not open on Mondays. So the closest I got to this point in Polish history was the parking lot and a statue of Duke Mieszko I.

Photo 3: Much of the walk this morning was on paved roads, so I was happy to have this stretch through the fields.

Photo 4: It seemed like just a few days ago the sunflowers were in full bloom...

Photo 5: The blue eye of heaven looking down to earth...

I took a different path than the Way of St. James to save me a day and went to the town of Pobieziska. The official route was about 10 km further away and took in another corner. The priest in Pobieziska did not speak German or English, but seemed to be real happy to put his stamp in my pilgrim passport. I am sure it does not happen much.

I also stayed at a small family run hotel in the center of the town. Usually the restaurant is closed on Mondays, but they made me a dinner anyway... and it was very good. While I ate, I spoke with the lady propiertor about my Snail-Trail experiences and impressions from Gniezno. I mentioned that St. James never came to Poland and most likely never went to Spain. I explained that according to the biblical record, Peter was the first one to ever bring the Gospel to non Jews, and shortly after that James the Greater was beheaded. There was just not time enough for him to travel to Spain and back. I also said that there are probably no holy bones of St. Aldabert left in the silver coffin at the cathedral in Gniezno, because the Czechs plundered them in 1038. She responded that sometimes it is better to not know the facts, but that we just need to believe. I said that God does not call us to believe in fiction, but to believe truth, and truth with be backed by historical fact. It is a fact of history that Jesus was born in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago, that he was a preacher of righteousness, betrayed and died on a Roman cross, and that his grave is empty. Truth tells us what all that means, that God so loved the world that he took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, showed us how to live, carried our sins to that cross, broke the power of sin over us through his death, defeated death by his resurrection which also guarantees that the grave cannot hold us. As Paul wrote to his young disciple Timothy: "I know in whom I have believed!" Our faith in Jesus has a firm foundation. It is more than just a story. It is truth that overcomes sin, death and the grave. That is something we can believe in.