The Dunin family, whose roots trace back to the Middle Ages, is among the oldest noble families in Poland. Family tradition holds that they are descendants of Canute the Great, the King of Denmark and the grandson of Mieszko I, one of the most powerful rulers in Europe in the 11th century. The time of their arrival in Poland is estimated to be in the 10th to 11th centuries, a period marked by lively relations between Poland and Scandinavia.