Baptism of Poland as a Challenge for Modern Education

Abstract

After the adoption of Christianity by the Polish Prince Mieszko I, the land of Slavs became part of the then civilized world and emphasized its presence in the family of Christian countries, and while it maintained many of its traditions, it started to adopt the achievements of the Christian civilization. It seems obvious that owing to this bold decision made by the prince of Polans, today the state and the nation speaking the Polish language do exist. However, if Mieszko had not adopted Christianity, maybe in the 11^th century his principality would still have developed and would have been strong, like the pagan Veleti Union living in the western coast of the Baltic Sea. On the other hand, in the 12^th century undoubtedly Mieszko’s land would have been attacked by the neighboring states that, on the wave of the crusade movement, under the banner of spreading Christianity, would have tried to conquer the territories. The inhabitants of those lands would have been Christians, probably there would have been no Poland, since the Polish lands would have become part of the neighboring countries, just like the territories belonging to the Veleti Union or ones occupied by the Old Prussians had become part of Germany. The ancestors of today’s Poles, although Christians, probably would have spoken German, Czech, or Ruthenian. This fact has to be reminded in the education of the young generation of Poles and cited in debates with the circles contesting the right of Christian ideas to exist in the state educational system.