The Millennium of the Polish State (, literally A Thousand Years of the Polish State) was a national celebration of the Christianization of Poland and the subsequent establishment of the first Polish nation. The celebrations took place over the years 1960–1966 by a resolution of the Sejm in 1958. The inauguration of the jubilee celebrations took place at the plenary session of the National Committee of the Unity Front on 16 February 1960 in Kalisz. The jubilee celebrations were accompanied by the educational program One thousand schools for the 1000th anniversary during which in the years 1959–1972 nearly 1.5 thousand schools were built. It was decided to use the anniversary by both the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and the Polish United Workers' Party for the propaganda in Poland. The church planned the celebration of the millennium of the baptism of Poland while the state authorities strictly commemorated the jubilee of the beginnings of the Polish nation.
Varying interpretations of the anniversary
The anniversary was interpreted in various ways depending on context. While most of the diaspora and the religious Catholic community celebrated the introduction of Christianity in Poland, the Communist-led government of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), which pursued a state policy of atheism, sought to undermine the international celebrations be re-conveying the anniversary as an anniversary of the birth of the Polish nation. In doing so, the PZPR framed the celebrations as a secular and political anniversary instead of a religious one. This caused friction between the PRL and the Vatican, which resulted in Pope Paul VI twice being refused permission to visit Poland in 1966. As British-Polish historian Norman Davies noted, the Church and the PZPR had "rival, and mutually exclusive, interpretations of [Poland's baptism] significance."
Commemorations
Commemorative coins
Commemorative coins were issued in connection with the celebrations. Their designs were prepared for a competition announced by the National Bank of Poland in 1957. As a result of the decision, it was decided the following year that the 10-złoty note designed by Józef Gosławski with the image of Mieszko I and Princess Doubravka would be minted as a 100-złoty silver commemorative coin. It became one of the most expensive coins of the Polish People's Republic and was, in the 70s, named "The Most Beautiful Polish Coin" by the Biuletyn Numizmatyczny magazine. By decree of the President of the Polish Government in Exile August Zaleski of 1 July 1966, it was decided to mint a commemorative Medal of the Millennium of Christian Poland. On 30 July 1966, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing issued over 100,000,000 commemorative stamps in honor of the millennium anniversary.
Tour of Cardinal Wyszyński
In 1966, Cardinal Primate Stefan Wyszyński traveled all over the country, visiting every region, during which he was welcomed by tens and hundreds of thousands of people. During the celebration, the authorities refused to allow Wyszyński from attending overseas celebrations. Each church in Poland posted slogans such as Sacrum Poloniae Millenium (Poland's Sacred Millennium) as well as Poloniae semper fidelis (Always loyal to Poland) and People with the Church (Naród z Kościołem). On May 15, 1966, in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Bishop Vladislav Rubin, a delegate from Cardinal Primate, sent papal mass in honor of the Polish Church Province. While reading a sermon in Gniezno, Cardinal Vyshinsky made this appeal: "I sincerely want you to firmly look at the past and present and, learning to love the history of this Christian people, look with open eyes at its Catholic essence".