Czcibor Hill and the Battle of Cedynia Monument

On a hill above the Oder valley, right by the village of Osinów Dolny, a 15-metre eagle spreads its wings for take-off. It commemorates the Battle of Cedynia on 24 June 972, one of the earliest victories of Poland's first historical ruler, Mieszko I, known from the chronicles. 270 stone steps lead to the top of Czcibor Hill, which is named after Mieszko's brother, whose surprise attack decided the battle.

History: a battle described by Thietmar

We know about the battle from the chronicle of Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg. Margrave Hodo attacked Mieszko, and the Saxons won at first. Then, at a place called Cidini, Mieszko's brother Czcibor defeated them and killed their best knights. For centuries scholars argued over where Cidini was. In the 18th century the Polish historian Adam Naruszewicz placed it at Szczecin, and some German historians looked as far away as Zehdenick. Today historians consider it highly likely that the battle took place here at Cedynia and was fought in two phases.

According to the reconstruction presented by the Cedynia municipality, on the morning of 24 June Mieszko's warriors defended a ford on an old arm of the Oder near Osinów Dolny. They then fell back towards the stronghold, luring the Saxons onto a narrow track between marshes and wooded hills. There Czcibor's troops struck from hiding. The Saxons were caught in a trap, with Mieszko's cavalry ahead, Czcibor's men on their flank and rear, and floodwaters on the other side. Several thousand soldiers may have fought here.

The monument and traces from a thousand years ago

A memorial stone was unveiled on the hill in 1959. For the battle's thousandth anniversary, on 25 June 1972, a monumental eagle designed by the Szczecin sculptors Czesław Wronka and Stanisław Biżek was unveiled. During clean-up work before the celebrations, bulldozers uncovered five hearths nearby. Charcoal from one of them was radiocarbon-dated in 1983 to AD 920 ± 70, so the hearths may come from the 10th century and could be linked to the events of 972.

What to see

• The eagle monument, 15 m tall, on the hilltop (54.5 m above sea level).
• The stone stairway, 270 steps straight up to the top.
• Plaques by the stairs with inscriptions in Polish, Russian, English and German.
• The mosaic at the foot of the hill, made in 1972 by Jerzy Chmielewski and Kazimierz Błonka, depicting the battle.
• The view over the Oder valley and the Cedynia Hills, the chain of glacial moraine hills to which Czcibor Hill belongs.

Tripto tip

• Location: the hill is about 4 km south-west of Cedynia and a few hundred metres east of Osinów Dolny. The National Remembrance Trail passes here (Cedynia – Czcibor Hill – Osinów Dolny – Siekierki – Gozdowice – Czelin).
• Time needed: 30–60 minutes for the climb, the monument and the mosaic.
• Conditions: the stairs are long and steep, so they're impossible with a pushchair, and older visitors should take it slowly with breaks.
• When to go: on a clear day the view reaches furthest.
• Combine with: Cedynia itself, with its viewing tower, early medieval stronghold site and former Cistercian convent.