Kalisz in the context of "Statute of Kalisz"

Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (Polish: [vjɛlkɔˈpɔlska] ; Latin: Polonia Maior), is a Polish historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland.

The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history. Since the Late Middle Ages, Wielkopolska proper has been split into the Poznań and Kalisz voivodeships. In the wider sense, it also encompassed Sieradz, Łęczyca, Brześć Kujawski and Inowrocław voivodeships (the last two known as Kuyavian) which were situated further east, and the Santok Land, located to the northwest. The region in the proper sense roughly coincides with the present-day Greater Poland Voivodeship (Polish: województwo wielkopolskie).

In the history of Poland, a royal city or royal town (Polish: miasto królewskie) was an urban settlement within the crown lands (Polish: królewszczyzna).

The most influential royal cities enjoyed voting rights during the free election period in Poland (1572–1791). These cities were Gdańsk, Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Lwów, Wilno, Toruń, Lublin, Kamieniec and Elbląg. Other important royal cities included Gniezno (ecclesiastical capital of Poland and former capital of early medieval Poland), Płock (former capital of medieval Poland), Piotrków (second most important political center of Poland in the early and mid-16th century as the main location of the Sejm, and then the main Crown Tribunal location alongside Lublin, thus one of the two judiciary capitals of Poland), Grodno (de facto capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 1580s and then the general sejm location alongside Warsaw), Bydgoszcz and Kalisz (temporary locations of the Crown Tribunal), and Sandomierz, Przemyśl, Kazimierz.

Kalisz Voivodeship 1314–1793 (Polish: Województwo Kaliskie, Latin: Palatinatus Calisiensis) was an administrative unit of Poland from 1314 to the Second Partition of Poland in 1793. It was part of the Greater Poland Province. Its capital was in Kalisz, and together with neighboring Poznań Voivodeship, Kalisz elected general starosta of Greater Poland. The sejmiks for the two voivodeships took place at Środa Wielkopolska, while general sejmik for the whole Province of Greater Poland took place in Koło, at the Bernardine Abbey.

The territory of the voivodeship remained unchanged from 1314 until 1768, when Gniezno Voivodeship was carved out of its northern three counties. Its original area was 15,320 km., but after 1768 it shrank to 7,810 km (3,020 sq mi). Local starostas resided at Kalisz, Gniezno, Konin, Kcynia, Naklo, Pyzdry, and Złotów. Kalisz Voivodeship had eight senators. These were: Archbishop of Gniezno, Voivode of Kalisz (who resided at the Kalisz Royal Castle), Castellan of Kalisz, Castellan of Gniezno, and Castellans of Ląd, Nakło nad Notecią, Biechowo, and Kamieńsk.

Greater Poland Voivodeship (Polish: województwo wielkopolskie [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ vjɛlkɔˈpɔlskʲɛ] ) is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. The province is named after the region called Greater Poland (Wielkopolska [vjɛlkɔˈpɔlska] ). The modern province includes most of this historic region, except for some western and northern parts.

Greater Poland Voivodeship is second in area and third in population among Poland's sixteen voivodeships, with an area of 29,826 square kilometres (11,516 sq mi) and a population of close to 3.5 million. Its capital city is Poznań; other important cities include Kalisz, Konin, Piła, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Gniezno (an early capital of Poland) and Leszno. It is bordered by seven other voivodeships: West Pomeranian to the northwest, Pomeranian to the north, Kuyavian-Pomeranian to the north-east, Łódź to the south-east, Opole to the south, Lower Silesian to the southwest and Lubusz to the west.

Przemysł I (4 June 1221 – 4 June 1257), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1239 until his death, from 1241 with his brother Bolesław the Pious as co-ruler. He was able to re-acquire large parts of Greater Poland, ruling as Duke of Poznań and Gniezno from 1247 and, upon several inheritance conflicts with his brother, as Duke of Poznań and Kalisz from 1249, sole Duke of Greater Poland from 1250, and Duke of Poznań from 1253 until his death.

The numeral primus ("The First") was given to him in the almost contemporary Wielkopolska Chronicle.

Bolesław the Pious (1224/27 – 14 April 1279) was a Duke of Greater Poland during 1239–1247 (according to some historians during 1239–1241, sole Duke of Ujście), Duke of Kalisz during 1247–1249, Duke of Gniezno during 1249–1250, Duke of Gniezno-Kalisz during 1253–1257, Duke of the whole of Greater Poland and Poznań during 1257–1273, in 1261 ruler over Ląd, regent of the Duchies of Mazovia, Płock and Czersk during 1262–1264, ruler over Bydgoszcz during 1268–1273, Duke of Inowrocław during 1271–1273, and Duke of Gniezno-Kalisz from 1273 until his death.

He was the second son of Władysław Odonic, Duke of Greater Poland by his wife Jadwiga, who was probably the daughter of Mestwin I, Duke of Pomerania, or a member of the Přemyslid dynasty. His name was very popular in the Piast dynasty, so it is unknown exactly after whom he was named. Very soon Bolesław received the nickname of "the Pious" (Latin: Pius, Polish: Pobożny), given to him during his lifetime by the Chronicle of the Chapter of Poznań. In 1264, Bolesław granted the first written privilege to the Jews of Greater Poland.

The Duchy of Kalisz was a feudal district duchy in Greater Poland, with its territorial and administrative core in the Kalisz Land — the region surrounding the city of Kalisz. Its capital was Kalisz. The duchy was established in 1177, following the partition of the Duchy of Greater Poland after a rebellion against Mieszko III. Duke Casimir II the Just of the Piast dynasty became its first ruler.

Initially, Kalisz remained a fiefdom within the broader Duchy of Poland — a term commonly applied to the fragmented realm, which some sources continue to refer to as the Kingdom of Poland — until 1227, when Kalisz gained independence as a duchy. It existed in this form until 1279, when it was united with the duchies of Gniezno and Poznań under the rule of Przemysł II, forming a reconstituted Duchy of Greater Poland.

Piła (Polish: [ˈpiwa] ; German: Schneidemühl) is a city in northwestern Poland and the capital of Piła County, situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Its population as of 2021 was 71,846, making it the third-largest city in the voivodeship after Poznań and Kalisz and the largest city in the northern part of Greater Poland.

Founded in the 14th century, Piła was a royal city of Poland, whose prosperity came from crafts and trade. The city is located on the Gwda river and is famous for its green areas, parks and dense forests nearby. It is an important road and railway hub, located at the intersection of two main lines: Poznań–Szczecin and Bydgoszcz–Krzyż Wielkopolski. Piła is the center of light industry, culture and education in northern Greater Poland, and is particularly known for motorcycle speedway racing.