Radwan

Radwan (Radowan) (died 1172) was a bishop of Poznań.

Nothing is known about his origin and family. He was a chancellor of duke Mieszko III Stary (mentioned in 1152/1153) and later, probably in 1164, became a bishop of Poznań. His promotion was a basic argument for Tadeusz Wojciechowski's hypothesis about a special connection between the chancellor office and Poznań's bishopric.

Name and origin His name in Latin was written as Radovanus.

Most Polish historians used Radwan as a Polish version of his name.

According to Jan Długosz, a chronicler living in 15th century, Radwan was member of the Śreniawitas (Śreniawici) family, but modern historians considered this information as erroneous. Historian Józef Nowacki supposed that Radwan was member of the Radwan family. Other 12th-century bishops of Poznań, Michał and Mrokota, also became chancellors. According to Wojciechowski, the bishop of Poznań was to be the arch-chancellor, the superior of the chancellor. This thesis is rejected in modern historiography.

Bishop of Poznań There is a dispute among historians about dates when Radwan was a bishop of Poznań. According to chronicler Jan Długosz Radwan was bishop from 1156 to 1162, but in other place he mentioned that he was a bishop on 6 May 1170.

On May 6, 1170 Mieszko III the Old and Radwan founded a hospice at the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel near Poznań. In 1187 Mieszko III the Old gave the hospice to the Knights of Saint John.

Radwan died in 1172. His successor was Cherubin.

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