More personal memorabilia added to our archives
The personal diary kept by eighteen-year-old student Tadeusz Kolbuch during the student strike of March 1968 has recently been donated to the Archives of the University of Wrocław.
Do you remember the story of the so-called “Hartman letter”, which became legendary because of the circumstances of its creation and its timeless message? The handwritten notes constituting professor Hartman’s farewell letter to his students were recently handed over by professor Zbigniew J. Jurek to the Rector of the University of Wrocław, professor Robert Olkiewicz.
A month later, on 3 December 2025, this story continued. Thanks to another personal memento, the materials relating to the events of March 1968 held in the University of Wrocław Archives were enriched by a further item.
This time it was a notebook containing handwritten notes by Mr Tadeusz Kolbuch.
The diary kept by the then eighteen-year-old mathematics student during the March strike of 1968 has now been added to the archival collection of the University of Wrocław.
The pocket notebook, in a grey cover, consists of 37 pages filled with notes from the occupation strike at the University of Wrocław in March 1968. However, the contents extend beyond the strike itself.
− For example, here is a list of radio stations broadcasting in Polish at the time, Voice of America, Radio London, Paris, Madrid, Ankara − Mr Kolbuch lists − and, of course, Radio Moscow − he adds with a laugh. − There are also song lyrics, as well as a train timetable to Namysłów, my hometown − he says while leafing through the yellowed pages.
On 3 December, former colleagues met in the Reading Room of the University of Wrocław Archives — some of whom had taken part in the occupation of the university’s main building in March 1968. The following participants returned to memories of those years in conversation:
- Mr Tadeusz Kolbuch, donor and author of the diary, graduate in mathematics (1971)
- Professor Zbigniew J. Jurek, graduate in mathematics (1972), retired professor of the Institute of Mathematics
- Professor Tadeusz Radzik, graduate in mathematics (1971), retired professor of Wrocław University of Science and Technology
- Dr Antoni Kościelski, graduate in mathematics (1972), retired staff member of the Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Wrocław
- Dr Tadeusz Jurek, graduate in mathematics (1972), retired staff member of the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics, University of Wrocław
- Professor Janusz Czelakowski, graduate in mathematics (1972), Professor at the University of Opole
The valuable personal memorabilia were officially handed over to Remigiusz Kazimierczak, Director of the Archives of the University of Wrocław.
The meeting was also attended by Joanna Piętkowska, Head of the Educational Records Section, and Magdalena Wątorska, Head of the Archival Materials Section.
On this exceptional occasion, we would like to encourage all those connected with our University to donate similar materials — documents, personal testimonies, memoirs and diaries related to their studies or professional work (not only those linked to 1968). These sources are of immense value, as they complement official documentation and bring historical events vividly to life.
We warmly invite everyone to contact the Archives of the University of Wrocław if they are interested in contributing such materials.
Complied: Katarzyna Górowicz-Maćkiewicz
We invite you to view the photo report by Zuzanna Pelc.
Date of publication: 4.12.2025
Added by: M.K.
