Did the Black Death reach the Kingdom of Poland in the middle of the 14th century?

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether the Black Death reached Poland in the 14th century, analyzing historical evidence to clarify its impact on the region during a pivotal period of Polish history.

Contribution

It provides a detailed historical analysis to determine the presence and effects of the Black Death in Poland, addressing a debated topic in medieval European history.

Findings

Evidence suggests the Black Death did reach Poland in the mid-14th century.

The impact of the plague in Poland was significant but less documented than in Western Europe.

The timing coincided with the reign of Casimir the Great, influencing Poland's development.

Abstract

The Black Death is regarded as a turning point in late medieval European history. Recent studies have shown that even regions that have so far been perceived in the literature as not or only marginally affected by the epidemic, suffered from its profound demographic and economic consequences. The scale and geographical range of the plague in Central Europe, the Kingdom of Poland included remains, however, a matter of dispute and from the beginning scholar's views on this matter have been divided. What is particularly important, the outbreak of the plague in Western Europe coincided with the reign of Casimir of the Piast dynasty, the only ruler of Poland to receive the nickname the Great, who is associated with the modernization and extraordinary development of his kingdom which was entering the golden age of its history.