Poznan (Posen), founded in the ninth century, has served as the residence of the first Polish kings from the tenth century until 1308, when Wladyslaw Lokietek makes Krakow his capital.

Lokietek is to fight a lifelong uphill battle with powerful adversaries and leave the Kingdom in a precarious situation, with limited area under its control and many unresolved issues, but he will be the savior of Poland's existence as a state.