Henryk Samsonowicz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henryk Samsonowicz
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| Born | 23 January 1930 Warsaw, Poland
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| Died | 28 May 2021 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Alma mater | University of Warsaw |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | History |
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Henryk Bohdan Samsonowicz (born January 23, 1930 – died May 28, 2021) was a famous Polish historian. He was an expert in the history of Poland during the Middle Ages. He also wrote many books and was a professor at the University of Warsaw. From 1989 to 1990, he served as the Minister of Education in Poland.
Contents
A Life of Learning and Service
Henryk Samsonowicz finished his studies at the University of Warsaw in 1950. He earned his PhD in 1954. Later, in 1960, he completed a special academic step called "habilitation." This allowed him to lead research and teach at a higher level. By 1971, he became a full professor.
Roles at the University
Professor Samsonowicz held many important jobs at the University of Warsaw. From 1967, he was a vice-dean in the Department of Humanistic Studies. Then, from 1970 to 1973, he became the dean of that department. He also directed the Institute of History from 1975 to 1980.
Involvement in Polish Politics
In 1980, Henryk Samsonowicz joined Solidarity. This was a big trade union that helped bring about changes in Poland. On October 1, 1980, he was chosen to be the rector of the University of Warsaw. A rector is like the president of a university.
However, he was removed from this job in April 1982. Later, in the late 1980s, he took part in important talks called the Round Table. These talks helped Poland move towards democracy.
Minister of Education
After the elections in June 1989, Henryk Samsonowicz became the Minister of Education. As minister, he made a big decision in 1990. He decided that religious studies could be taught in Polish schools again. He stayed in this role until January 1991.
Later Life and Honors
Professor Samsonowicz also taught at the Humanistic Academy in Pułtusk. He was a member of important groups like the Polish Academy of Learning and the Polish Academy of Sciences. He received special honorary degrees from several universities. These included the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, and University of Wrocław.
He was given the Legion of Honour award in 1984. This is a very high honor from France. Since 2008, he was an honorary citizen of Pułtusk and Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Henryk Samsonowicz passed away on May 28, 2021.
Key Writings
Henryk Samsonowicz wrote about 800 scientific papers. Most of these were about the history of medieval Poland. He also wrote 16 books and university textbooks. Here are a few of his important works:
- Historia Polski do roku 1795 (History of Poland until 1795), published in 2000.
- Późne średniowiecze miast nadbałtyckich (Late Middle Ages of Baltic cities), published in 1968. This book looked at the history of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries.
- Miejsce Polski w Europie (Poland's location in Europe), published in 1995.
- Ziemie polskie w X wieku i ich znaczenie w kształtowaniu się nowej mapy Europy (Polish lands in the 10th century and their importance in shaping a new map of Europe), published in 2000.
- Tysiącletnie dzieje (Thousand years of history), which he wrote with Janusz Tazbir, published in 1997.
See also
- List of Poles
