ABSTRACT
From the start, one must briefly oudine the geopolitical situation in sixteenth-century Poland to understand clearly how the Protestant movement developed there. The Polish state at the time was made up of two political entities uni ted by a freely established treaty: the 'Crown' (Poland) and Lithuania, which included apart of Ruthenian territory. The Poland-Lithuania union had the prince of Prussia as vassal. His state, founded by the Teutonic Knights, was secularized in the sixteenth century by Prince Albert of Hohenzollern. In 1525, Albert swore an oath of vassalage to his unde Sigismund I, the Old, King of Poland. This did not keep Albert from becoming a fervent and effective supporter of Lutheranisffi. He spread this confession beyond the borders of his principaliry, and naturally it penetrated into Poland. All the evidence suggests that his religious fervour was coupled with political amhitions. At the time, Poland was surrounded by Prussia to the north, Germany anq Silesia to the west, and Bohemia and Hungary to the south . All these lands were either ruled by the Habsburgs or were under that family's influence, as the Habsburgs were related to the JagielIons who ruled in Poland. It appears that this situation facilitated the penetration of ideological movements from Central Europe, and particularly from Germany, the cradle of Lutheranisffi.
