# Casimir the Restorer returns (1039)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1039-casimir-the-restorer-returns
Location: Kraków
Categories: ruler-change

With German and Kievan support Casimir I returned from exile to rebuild the Polish state, making Kraków its centre. Within the broader Piast Monarchy period: Under Mieszko I and his successors the Piast state accepted Christianity, gained its own church province and royal crown, and fought to hold its place between the Holy Roman Empire, Bohemia and Kievan Rus'. At this point in the timeline (1039), the governing authority was Casimir I the Restorer (Duke of Poland). Rebuilt the Piast state after the crisis of the 1030s, recovering Masovia and Silesia and moving the centre of power to Kraków. Casimir the Restorer returns mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Casimir the Restorer returns mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Casimir I the Restorer](https://poland-history.com/rulers/casimir-i-the-restorer)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Casimir I the Restorer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_I_the_Restorer)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Casimir the Restorer returns](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Casimir+the+Restorer+returns)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during the Piast dynasty (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_the_Piast_dynasty)