Kraków the Host City: Stories Episode 4: First Scientific Conferences

Medicine is closely associated with Krakow: this is where future doctors were educated. Maciej Miechowita, referred to as the Polish Hippocrates, worked in Krakow as a physician; a university hospital was established in 1780 on the initiative of Professor Andrzej Badurski, and the first departments and chairs in Poland were created in Krakow, such as, among others: the chair of anatomy, surgery and obstetrics, which starting in 1780 was headed by the ‘father of Polish surgery’, Professor Rafał Czerwiakowski, and by the founder of the first surgical clinic at ul. Kopernika 40, Professor Ludwik Rydygier.

The annual Congress of Polish Surgeons were initiated by Professor Rydygier. And so, on 16-17 October 1889, nearly 60 doctors came to Krakow to attend the first session. The opening ceremony of the convention was held at the Hotel Pod Różą, and the proceedings which gathered 160 participants, took place in the Hall of Jagiellonian University.

Among interesting examples of the first conferences organised in Krakow are:

The Congress of Slavic Journalists (23-25 September 1899); the Congress of Polish Women (in 1905, 1907, 1913, 1914); the Founding Congress of the Committee for Poland's Participation in the Olympic Games (that is, the nucleus of the Polish Olympic Committee, 12 October 1919 in the hall of the Hotel Francuski); the Congress of the Centrolew; the Defence of the People’s Rights and Freedom (June 1930); the All-Polish Artists and Designers' Convention to commemorate Stanisław Wyspiański (26-28 November 1932); and guest lectures by scientists (e.g., by the French historian Fernand Braudel on 10 October  1957 at Jagiellonian University).

And in the next episode we will tell you about 8th World Esperanto Congress in 1912 and the School of Economics, which later became Krakow University of Economics.

Photo source http://bc.wbp.lublin.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=24905