The Forgotten Crusaders

This book investigates into the Polish participation in the Crusades to the Holy Land, as well as the organisation of the campaign of preaching of the Cross and the collection of resources for the support of the Crusades by the Church. By broadening the scope of enquiry to consider the application of the motifs of crusading against Poland's pagan neighbours, local heretics or political opponents of the Church it provides conclusions which may interest the international reader. Finally, it shows the wider context of the Crusades, looking at the influence of the crusading ideology on different areas of life in medieval Poland - one of the countries of 'young Europe' (to use J. Koczowski's term) - thus making an interesting contribution to our knowledge of European culture in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Forgotten Crusaders , being an attempt to take a wider look at the relationships between Poland and the crusading movement, therefore has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the state of research.

Review:

...whereas most medievalists are aware of the Scandinavian and German crusades in the Baltic, they know nothing about the Polish contributions. Indeed, this was a troubled era for the Polish kingdom-the division of the dynastic lands had led to endless rivalries; the Mongols sacked Cracow; Lithuanian pagans ravaged frontier regions; and the Teutonic Knights, pushing along the Baltic coast, became too strong to expel or even tame. Chronicle entries were sparse, and documents were not informative. No wonder Polish crusading efforts were forgotten... Medievalists (...) will find it extremely valuable. Mikolaj Gladysz is good at analyzing papal documents calling for volunteers and contributions to the crusading cause, and in describing the role of Polish churchmen in furthering them... William Urban (Monmouth College, IL), The Catholic Historical Review, July 2013