Poland [antikvár]

The Poles: History and a Touchof the PresentPoland entered Europe during a tenseperiod. The year 1000 was soon to come. Asalways happens at the close of any millen-nium, people were scared to death of the ap-proaching doomsday.In King Lothar's France the greatCarolingian dynasty was already nearing itsend. England had its King Edgar of Wessex,too peaceful for his stormy time, since the is-land was repeatedly invaded and plunderedby Norman troops from Scandinavia. Hav-ing crushed the harassing bands of Magyars,Germany was growing in power under OttoI, called the Great, a sort of Chancellor HelmutKohl of that time. Otto I was also driven byan ambition to unite not only Germany, butthe whole of Europe and the whole of theChristian world. He had just then beencrowned emperor.The 10th-century Poles absolutely likedit! They were just emerging out of the tribalmagma and had to split up with paganism asquickly as they now wish to forget commu-nism. In order to avoid being converted toChristianity by sword and to enter the fore-runner of the European Union, they neededa protector.