# Legend of Princess Wanda (740)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/740-legend-of-princess-wanda
Location: Kraków

Tradition holds that Wanda, daughter of Krakus, refused to marry a German prince and threw herself into the Vistula; the Wanda Mound near Nowa Huta preserves her name. Within the broader Slavic Tribes period: Slavic tribes settled the region from the sixth century, building fortified gords and tribal territories. Legends of Lech, Krakus and Piast preserve memories of this age, which ended with the rise of the Polans around Gniezno. At this point in the timeline (740), the governing authority was Wanda (Legendary princess of Kraków). Legendary daughter of Krakus who, according to tradition, chose death in the Vistula rather than marry a German prince. This ruler is known only from legend or from a later chronicle tradition, so the dating is approximate. Legend of Princess Wanda mattered because cultural achievements helped preserve and define Polish identity and influence beyond its borders. 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
Legend of Princess Wanda mattered because cultural achievements helped preserve and define Polish identity and influence beyond its borders.

Ruler at the time: [Wanda](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wanda)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Princess Wanda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Wanda)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Legend of Princess Wanda](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Legend+of+Princess+Wanda)
- [Wikipedia — Polish tribes (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_tribes)