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.

His name in Latin was written as Radovanus.^[1]

Most Polish historians used Radwan as a Polish version of his name.^[2] Historian Tomasz Jurek considered the version Radowan as a proper one.^[3]

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.^[2] Historian Józef Nowacki supposed that Radwan was member of the Radwan family.^[2]

Radwan was a chancellor of Mieszko III the Old, duke of Greater Poland. As a chancellor he is mentioned in the foundation charter for the Cistercian monastery in Łekno.^[3] The charter was issued in 1153.^[2][3] According to Cistercians' tradition the start of a new year was Lady Day (25 March), so the charter could be issued between 25 March 1152 and 24 March 1153.^[3] He probably became a chancellor in 1146 when his predecessor Pean became the bishop of Poznań.^[4]

Later Radwan 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.^[2] Radwan's career looks similar to other bishops of Poznań who earlier were Mieszko's chancellors, like his predecessor Pean and successor Cherubin.^[5]

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.^[2] The first information is considered as untrue, while the second was based on earlier sources.^[2][3]

According to the Rocznik Lubiński (Lubin's Yearbook) Radwan was a successor of Cherubin, who died in 1172.^[2] This information is false as Cherubin was a bishop of Poznań during a synod in Łęczyca in 1180.^[3] Historian Władysław Semkowicz supposed there is a mistake in sequence of bishops in Rocznik Lubiński and Radwan should be placed before Cherubin.^[2] This thesis is widely accepted by scholars.^[2][6] According to most historians Radwan was a bishop from 1164 to 1172.^[4][5]

On May 6, 1170 Mieszko III Stary and Radwan founded a hospice at the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel near Poznan.^[7] In 1187 Mieszko III Stary gave the hospice to the Knights of Saint John.^[7]