Mieszko I of Poland at Gniezno, Poznań, Ostrów Lednicki and elsewhere. The existence of the missionary diocese emphasized the individuality and independence of the Polish state. At the time of the reign of Mieszko, there was no single place serving as the capital, instead, he built several "palatiums" around his country. The most important locations were Poznań (Ostrów Tumski), Gniezno and Ostrów Lednicki. The latter was a ring-fort some 500 meters in circumference, containing the country's first monumental architecture, a stone palace used as the duke's residence. The Catholicization also led to political changes. The emergent power structures were independent of the traditional tribal
Mieszko I of Poland in the entry for the year 985 it is noted that Mieszko came to help the Saxons in their fight against some Slavic forces, presumably the Polabians. One year later, the Polish ruler had a personal meeting with the Emperor, an event mentioned in the "Annals of Hersfeld": According to Thietmar and other contemporary chronicles the gift given by Mieszko to the Emperor was a camel. The meeting consolidated the Polish-German alliance, with Mieszko joining Otto's expedition against a Slavic land, which "together they wholly devastated (...) with fire and tremendous depopulation". It is not clear which Slavic territory was