The castle district of Poznań: the castle and the bishop's cathedral on the island of Ostrów Tumski between the Warta and the Cybina, the market settlement of Śródka on the east bank, the Hospitallers' house by Śródka (1187), and the villages round.
In 1200 the castellan answers to Władysław Spindleshanks if Poznań is his, as one account has it, or to Mieszko himself.
Who he is
- Name
- Not named in any charter of 1199-1200 we could reach (not pinned)
- Title
- Castellan of Poznań (kasztelan poznański)
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No name given: the brief forbids naming castellans without a charter.
Overlord
Duke Mieszko III (or his son Władysław in the southern share)
What it holds
- Poznań castle (Ostrów Tumski) and its district
- Śródka market and the Warta crossing
How it was acquired
Castellanies are ducal offices: the duke appoints and removes the castellan.
Allies and rivals
The castellan answers to the duke; his knights and the castle folk owe him service.
How things stand that morning
Held by a castellan whose name for 1199-1200 is not pinned, under Władysław Spindleshanks (one account) or Mieszko III (another).
Wealth
The ducal dues of the district's villages, the market and the toll at the castle.
Military
The castle's garrison and the knights of the district.
Places of note
- Ostrów Tumski: Castle and cathedral.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The castellany is certain; the holder is not named in what we could reach.
On the map: Castle districts are drawn as the castle and its nearest neighbours; their real extent in 1200 is not recorded.
Primary sources for Greater Poland
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of the Poles, by Master Vincent (Wincenty Kadłubek), Wincenty Kadłubek (about 1190 to 1208). Book 4 is a contemporary's account of the fight for the senior throne of Kraków. Read online
- The annals of the Kraków chapter and the other Polish annals (kept from the 11th century; the Kraków chapter annals continued to 1266). Short dated entries that fix the chronology Kadłubek blurs: the deaths of dukes and bishops, Mieszko the Old's captures of Kraków, Prussian raids on Masovia, church consecrations. Read online
Sources and studies
- Duchy of Greater Poland, en.wikipedia
- Mieszko III the Old, en.wikipedia
- Church of St. John of Jerusalem Outside the Walls (Poznań), en.wikipedia
- Władysław III Spindleshanks, en.wikipedia
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.