Saint Adalbert – the Apostle of Silesia

Abstract

Bishop Adalbert is known under many names but only one source refers to him as the ‘Apostle of Silesia’: a mediaeval chronicle of the Opole Dominicans. Since the II World War the chronicle is lost. The contents of the chronicle were recently reconstructed thanks to an archival research in the manuscript department of the Wrocław University Library, the National Archive in Prague and the Dominican General Archive on Aventine hill in Rome. According to the source, saint Adalbert had visited Opole about 984. In Górka (the Hill) he was supposed to christianize local society and baptize them. When he was run out of baptizing water, the fountain came to the top and lasted till the beginning of the 20th century. Close to the fountain the church dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary was founded and, according to the chronicle, was the first temple in Opole. In 15th century saint Adalbert has been already worshiped as city’s patron. His cult encircled entire Silesia so term ‘the Apostle of Silesia’ didn’t seem then extraordinary at all.

Keywords

• saint Adalbert
• cult
• Opole
• Dominicans
• chronicle