Poland: How a painting created a political myth

Five hundred years ago, Prussia's ruler in Krakow fell to his knees before Poland's king and recognized his sovereignty. Today, the PiS is trying to use this event for its purposes.

Documents relating to the Second Peace of Toruń and the Treaty of Kraków, portraits of the main characters of the Prussian Homage, part of the silver library of Albrecht Hohenzollern, as well as the oil painting Prussian Homage by Jan Matejko – these are just some of the exhibits at the exhibition "Homage 500. History-Culture-Memory", which can be viewed at the Malbork Castle.

Prof. Stefan Ciara points out that King Sigismund I the Old and his advisors sought a peaceful solution and could not have predicted subsequent events.

The Teutonic Order was to cease to exist, and thus the eternal Polish enemy was to be "pacified". Did this actually happen? Who had a better feeling about the Hohenzollern's homage: Sigismund the Old or his wife, Queen Bona? Was this the best solution for Poland in 1525?