The Vistulans lived in the area of what is now southern Poland and had two
important centers, Krakow and Wislica. Of the tribes mentioned, the Vistulans
were the first to be 
Christianized.
This baptism occurred in the 890’s due to the efforts of missionaries of
the St. Methodius Rite (the Slavonic Rite of the Western Church). This conversion
date is controversial because it is generally accepted that Poland as a nation
became Roman Catholic in 966. However, there seems to be substantiating evidence
for the earlier date:
"Digging in Wislica the archeologists found a baptismal font used for the mass-baptism of pagans. Such baptismal fonts usually were made at bishoprics in those days. Scientific research revealed that the font at Wislica was erected about 890 A.D., which indicates in this time the city was already the seat of a bishop." Additional evidence is offered in a letter from the German bishops to Pope John IX in 900. This letter states that missionaries of St. Methodius had baptized all the Vistulans by that date. The tribe of the Vistulans, like the Silesians, had little chance to emerge as a country since they were subjected to unfriendly attacks. Their conversion in the 890’s, in fact, was probably the result of one of those attacks coming from the Great Moravian State in the south.
The Lenthans lived east of the Vistulans with important centers at Przemysl and perhaps Czerwien. Like the two previous tribes, the Lenthans were kept busy by conflicts with their neighbors and thus could not emerge as an independent nation. In the late 900’s they were already under the rule of the fourth tribe – the Polans.
The Polans were the most impressive tribe of those on early Polish lands. They were not exposed to numerous attacks from the outside so they developed a strong, fortified, geographical center, from which maneuvers to unite all tribes on Polish territories were conducted. The center for the Polans consisted of three growing cities – Kruszwica, Gniezno, and Poznan – all in the western part of modern Poland often referred to as Kujawy. The area immediately around the cities, as well as the distant countryside, was densely populated and rich in farming. Thus, the strength for the beginnings of a modern state was substantial, and the Polans unified area tribes into the nation which took its name. Polans comes from the word Polarije, which translates to "those who live on the cleared fields."
Early History | Beginnings of Christianity | Early Leadership | First Rulers | The Latin Rite | A New Dynasty | The Queen of Poland
The End of the Monarchy | The Partition | Cultural Leaders | Poland Now