Cedynia

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Cedynia (German: Zehden) is a town in Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in Gryfino County. It lies close to the Oder River, near the border with Germany. It has 1,648 inhabitants (2004). A Communist-era monument to first historically recorded battle of Poland was erected in the town after Second World War.

[edit] History

First settlements are recorded in the 7th century B.C.

The town is situated directly across the Oder River from the town of Oderberg.

The Polish Cedynia website (external link below) states: Najstarsza zapisana w dokumentach nazwa grodu pojawia się już pod rokiem 972 jako Cidini, w 1187 Zedin i Cedene, w 1240 Ceden.

Translation:

Name of city appears in documents under oldest written records already in the year 972 as Cidini, in 1187 as Zedin and Cedene, in 1240 as Ceden.

In 972, the first historically recorded battle of the first duke of the Polans took place at this location on June 24. At this battle, recorded as Schlacht bei Zehden Battle of Cedynia, duke Mieszko I of Poland and his brother Czcibor defeated Hodo I, the German margrave of the Northern March and Lusatia. Information about this battle is found in the Gall Anonim Chronicle and the Thietmar Chronicle. This was one of Mieszko's and his son Boleslaw I's numerous battles, that they took up in their conquests and conquest attempts in several neighboring countries, soon after they received positions as dukes.

Mieszko I defeated margrave Hodo, whose job it was to protect the land. Thus Mieszko of the Polans gained access for the first time in 972 to the Oder River going north into the Baltic Sea and to some parts of the land, later called Pomerania. Under Boleslaw I the name Poland was for the first time used. Boleslaw and successors conquered Pomerania temporarily a few more times.

In 1252 the town of (Cidini, Zedin, Cedene, Ceden (modern German Zehden, all pronounced about the same) became a part of Mark Brandenburg and in 1278 the Cistercians erected a cloister for females there, which was secularized after the Reformation. During wars in the 17th century the town was destroyed by Swedes. In 1701 it became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia, (previously Brandenburg-Prussia). In 1945 Zehden along with all of eastern Brandenburg, was again conquered by Poland.

An ironical footnote: The first dukes of Poland went out with the sword to conquer in the name of Christianization. A thousand years later it was Communism.