Poland Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Poland appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 28 different states, among them Poland, Poland-Lithuania, Russian Empire, Prussia, Germany.
PolandExplore the history of Poland in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Poland as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Poland, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Historic cities in Poland
Famous people of Poland
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1473 – 1543 | Nicolaus Copernicus | Astronomer |
| 1729 – 1796 | Catherine the Great | Empress of Russia |
| 1810 – 1849 | Frédéric Chopin | Composer and pianist |
| 1867 – 1934 | Marie Curie | Physicist and chemist |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1410 | Battle of Grunwald |
| 1914 | Battle of Tannenberg |
Landmarks
Wawel CastleStanding · 1500
Malbork CastleStanding · 1309
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Poland?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Poland belonged to Poland, Poland-Lithuania, Russian Empire, Prussia, Germany, Holy Roman Empire, along with 22 other states.
What was Poland part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Poland lay within Poland.
What was Poland part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Poland lay within Poland-Lithuania.
What was Poland part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Poland lay within Russian Empire.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.