University Day by the Wrocław University Library
The celebration of the University of Wrocław takes place on November 15. The date is incredibly symbolic both for the university and for our city. On this day, the University inaugurated the first post-war academic year 1945/1946 with a lecture by professor Ludwik Hirszfeld – one of the greatest scholars at the time, known mostly for his achievements in immunology and microbiology. The first rector of the University was Stanisław Kulczyński. The event began the University’s development, with a new academic staff and a new spirit. That marked the beginning of Wrocław’s restoration as a crucial academic and scientific centre in Poland.
The date is also important for the pre-war Wrocław traditions, as November 15, 1702, is when took place the inauguration of the academic year of Wrocław’s first higher education institution, Leopoldina, founded by Emperor Leopold I. Post-war University of Wrocław connected modernity with academic traditions of the city dating back to the 18th century, but also with and, on the other hand, with the legacy of Lviv universities – the Polytechnic and the Jan Kazimierz University, from where most of the academic staff came.
Not only is the event important for the history of our university, but it also allows us to appreciate the effects of our work, our academic achievements, and the involvement of students, professors, and administrators in the university’s life. We’re really proud of the university’s legacy and how it contributes to the development of science, culture, and education in Poland and beyond.
Because of the Celebration, Graphic Collection Department of the University Library prepared a special series of silkscreens made by Gabriel Kamiński and Wojciech Górka. The screen prints feature characteristic elements of the university’s architecture and its surroundings.
The silkscreens depict the University of Wrocław building, the famous Aula Leopoldina, allegorical architectural details inside the buildings and a stylized fragment of a vault with illusionist painting by Johann Christoph Handke. Each screen print is a unique composition that showcases well-known places associated with the University extraordinarily.
The screen paintings are marked by the large number of details, but also subtle plays of colour and light, which makes them so unique. Usually bicolour or tricolour, with the use of white backgrounds, these works are true masterpieces of graphic art.
Another thing portrayed on the screen paintings was University Square, along with the Swordsman sculpture, both of which became the symbols of Wrocław. These incredible interpretations of such important academic places pay tribute to the University and its history.
Gabriel Kamiński and Wojciech Górka’s creations let us admire artistic interpretations of well-known facilities of the University of Wrocław. Moreover, they are part of the celebration of the University’s rich tradition and heritage, which attracts students and staff members from Poland and other countries.
Because of the University Celebration, we would like to emphasize the importance of the state emblem from the Building of the Jan Kazimierz University Library in Lviv, which is a symbol of our history and heritage. Since it reached Wrocław, the emblem has witnessed many changes and historical-political turmoil. Its first appearance in the Library took place in 1945, which symbolized the revival of Polish education and culture. Due to formal reasons, it had to be taken down later on, however, thanks to people like Jan Wageman and Edward Pomarański, the emblem has been preserved to the present day.
In 1990, the emblem returned to its original place, the Main Reading Room of the Library located on ul. Karola Szajnochy 7/9. In 2019, the emblem was moved to the new library building, along with the removal of the last volumes of books. Today, we can see it in The Main Reading Room on the third floor. Its presence in this place reminds us of the strength of tradition, the history which shapes us and the people, who worked hard to let the Polish symbols survive and unite us as a community.
Celebrating the University of Wrocław, we would like to wish the academic community to draw inspiration from our rich history and to look boldly to the future, building further chapters of the University’s tradition.
Authors: Marta Lange, Anna Szczotka-Sobiecka, University Library.
Bibliography:
BUWr 1357591 III, Historia Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego 1702-2002 / Teresa Kulak, Mieczysław Pater, Wojciech Wrzesiński, Wrocław 2002
Translated by Natalia Andrzejewska (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.
