History of the Faculty

Phisics and astronomy have been present at the University of Warsaw ever since it was established in 1816. The first professor of physics was Karol Skrodzki (1787-1832), while Franciszek Armiński (1789-1848) was the first astronomer and founder of the Astronomical Observatory. After World War I, Stefan Pieńkowski (1883-1953) created at Hoża St. a center of research in atomic and molecular optics of worldwide significance. Theoretical physics was in turn initiated by Czesław Białobrzeski (1878 - 1953).

After the end of World War II, the scope of research began to grow, encompassing solid state physics (Leonard Sosnowski (1911 - 1986)), the physics of nuclei and elementary particles (Marian Danysz (1909 - 1983) and Jerzy Pniewski (1913 - 1989)), later on also studies in solid state via nuclear methods, biophysics, and medical physics.

Theoretical physics, the development of which was started by Wojciech Rubinowicz (1889 - 1974), began to flourish in the post-war period in the 1950s, when Leopold Infeld (1898-1968) proceeded to create a separate Institute of Theoretical Physics, engaged in a wide range of research topics. Along with the classical areas of mechanics, thermodynamics, electrodynamics, and relativity theory, this included the theory of the atomic nuclei, of elementary particles, solid state theory, statistical physics, and mathematical methods in physics.

Up to 1926, physics and astronomy formed part of the Philosophical Faculty; later on, until 1949, of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science. For the next three years, physicists were part of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry; and for the following sixteen years, of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. The Faculty of Physics exists since 1969. The consecutive Deans of the Faculty of Physics were: Leonard Sosnowski (1969 - 1972), Janusz Zakrzewski (1972 - 1975), Jerzy Pniewski (1975 - 1981), Stanisław Woronowicz (1981 - 1984), Jerzy Mycielski (1984 - 1986), Andrzej K. Wróblewski (1986 - 1989), Krzysztof Ernst (1989 - 1996), Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow (1996 - 2002), Jan Bartelski (2002 - 2008), Teresa Rząca-Urban (2008 - ).