Bolesław Chrobry, Wrocław

Pause beside the monument and take in the figure before you. It commemorates Bolesław Chrobry, the ruler also remembered in English as Bolesław the Brave. He governed Poland from 992 until 1025, first as duke and, in his final year, as the country’s first king.

That change matters: Poland was elevated to the standing of a kingdom during his rule, and he became its first ruler to bear the royal title. His ambitions reached beyond Poland’s borders. For a brief period, from 1003 to 1004, he also held the duchy of Bohemia.

He belonged to the Piast dynasty and played an influential part in the politics of Central Europe, using negotiation as well as power. His reign also continued the spread of Western Christianity among his people. This memorial is a comparatively recent addition to Wrocław, installed on 15 September 2007.

Stand for a moment with the monument in view: it links a modern city street to a leader whose career helped define the early Polish kingdom. You can come by at any hour, day or night.