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At the same time when the Kingdom of Germany grew out of the German stem duchies of East Francia in the 10th century, the West Slavic Polan tribes under the Piast prince Mieszko I about 960 were able to establish a sovereign state around Poznan and Gniezno in an area later called Greater Poland.
The Poland-wide Youth Meeting Lednica 2000 (known as Lednica) is a major annual gathering of Polish Catholic youth, organized near Poznań in Lednica (near the Lednica lake, which is believed to be the place where the first Polish monarch, Mieszko I was baptized in 966).
By conquest the first leaders of the Polans, Mieszko I and especially Boleslaw I added a number of surrounding territories to the newly established core Polish state, and Lebus Land or Lubusz in Lusatia came under Polish rule.
He also gave city rights to several towns: Cieszyn, Oświęcim (in 1291), Bielsko, Skoczów and Fryštát.
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His first documented mention was on 21 October 1258, when he appears together with his father and two younger brothers in the consent of the foundation of a Cistercian abbey in Rudy.
It was probably first used by Dobrawa, the wife of Mieszko I, and her Bohemian attendants – Mieszko himself was baptised in 966 (see Baptism of Poland).
As having origin in the Proto-Slavs, the two were pagan (Slavic religion) until forming of Christianity as state-religion; 867–886 in Serbia with the baptism of Mutimir (possibly by Eastern Christian Cyril and Methodius), and 966 in Poland with the baptism of Mieszko I (by Western Christian Jordan).
Formerly, in the period of the rule of the first monarchs of Piast State, like also before Baptism of Poland in 966, in the 10th century Płock as the capital castle were one of monarchal seats, among others of prince Mieszko I and of king Bolesław I Chrobry, which on the Płock Tumskie Hill over the Vistula River raised one's palatium.
Some have suggested that the use of water is an allusion to the baptism of Mieszko I, the Duke of Polans (c. 935–992) in 966 AD, uniting all of Poland under the banner of Christianity.