A Brief History of Poland, part 4: the golden age

In the fourth part of our Brief History of Poland series, Notes from Poland editor-at-large Stanley Bill looks at the "golden age" of Poland-Lithuania in the sixteenth century, covering the period between 1505 and 1572. He examines the reign of the last two Jagiellonian kings; the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; religious tolerance and conflict; the great cultural achievements of the Polish Renaissance; and the beginning of the free royal elections.

The Brief History of Poland series will cover over a thousand years of Polish political and cultural history, from 966 until today.

Producer: Sebastian Leśniewski