Timeline of Jewish-Polish history Timeline of Jewish-Polish history This article presents the timeline of selected events concerning the history of the Jews in Poland beginning with the formation of the Polish state under its first ruler, Mieszko I of Poland. 960 A Jewish merchant and slave trader from Spain, Ibrahim Ibn Jaqub (Abraham ben Jakov), travels to Poland and writes the first description of the country and the city of Kraków. Jewish traders are very active in Central Europe. Mieszko I mints coins with Hebrew letters on them, though some attribute the coins to the times of Mieszko the Old. 1264 Polish Prince Boleslaus
Mieszko I of Poland been between 922–945; the activity of the Duke in his final years of life puts the date of his birth closer to the latter year. There are three major theories concerning the origin and meaning of Mieszko I's name. The most popular theory, proposed by Jan Długosz, explains that Mieszko is a diminutive of "Mieczysław", a combination of two elements or lexemes: "Miecz" meaning sword and "Sław" meaning famous. Today, this theory is rejected by the majority of Polish historians, who consider the name Mieczysław to have been invented by Długosz to explain the origin of the name Mieszko. Today,