Władysław Lubomęski (1841-1907) response to Józef Rostafiński's (1850-1928) ethnobotanical questionnaire from 1883 regarding the area of Lwów

Józef Rostafinski (1850-1928), a botanist and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (then Austria-Hungary),carried out a survey regarding the name and use of plants in the Polish lands in 1883. The most complete version of the questionnaire contained questions regarding approximately 130 species. One of the responses, by the Polish biologist Władysław Lubomęski (1841-1907), concerning the area between Lwów and Żółkiew (now western Ukraine), is presented. When Lubomęski responded to the survey, he was professor and director of Higher School of Agriculture in Dublany near Lwów

The life of Józef Warszewicz (1812-1866) : the Kraków period

plants of his time, after spending several years on expeditions to Central and South America, was to be employed as Inspector (the main gardener) of the Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. His employment encountered resistance from the Ministry of Denominations and Education Kraków in 1854. He worked on the reorganisation of the Botanical Garden and supervised new projects there. His activities contributed to an expansion of the Botanical Garden’s plant collections. Warszewicz also brought a herbarium and a collection of tropical animals to Kraków. During his life in Kraków, Warszewicz was widely honoured, and after his death, a monument was erected to him and one of Kraków’s streets was named after him

Was Mendelian genetics taught during the Lysenkoist period in Poland?

The content of Polish textbooks of botany, zoology and rudiments of evolutionism of Lysenkoist times was analysed, along with a methodological manual for biology and a set of guidelines. On this basis, and taking into account the memories of eyewitnesses, it can be stated that Mendelian genetics was not taught in schools in Poland during the Lysenkoist period

Adam Woliński’s (1856-1901) response to Józef Rostafiński’s (1850-1928) ethnobotanical questionnaire from 1883

Józef Rostafinski (1850-1928), a botanist and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (then Austria-Hungary), announced in 1883 a survey regarding the name and use of plants in the Polish lands. The most complete version of the questionnaire contained questions regarding approximately 130 species. One of the responses, by Adam Woliński (1856-1901), concerning the area of Oporowo near Leszno (western Poland), is presented. When Woliński responded to the survey, he was an associate judge of a court in Berlin. One year later, he returned to Poznań permanently , where he practiced as a lawyer

Cracow Academic Society and its role in the development of Polish botany

The Cracow Academic Society was established in 1815. In its early days it was closely linked to the Jagiellonian University of Cracow. These links were broken in 1856. In 1872 the Society was transformed into Academy of Sciences and Letters. Throughout its history, 39 botanists became members of the Society. Most of them lived in Cracow and in the Congress Kingdom of Poland. The botanical collections of the Society included books and herbaria. In 1856 the Society started its own library. It was expanded mainly by way of book exchanges, and several botanists made bequests of theirs own books. During the meetings of the Society 23 papers in botany were presented. Such a small portion of papers in botany may either meant that botanists were less active or that this branch of science was less popular at that time. The Society announced several competitions. Papers in botany were awarded prizes in the J. Jakubowski competition and in the W. Siemieński competition. These two played a major role in the development of botany in the research centre of Cracow. The competitions provided stimuli for field studies, and hence led to the publication of the first modern studies of flora. The Society played also a special role in the organization of botanical research. His Physiographical Commission was one of the first institutions in Europe carrying out planned research projects using grants awarded annually

Bronisław Szakien

Biography of Polish botanist Bronisław Szakien (1890-1938)

Blessed plants reported in Józef Rostafiński’s (1850-1928) questionnaire, distributed in 1883

In 1883, an ethnobotanical enquiry was distributed by Józef Rostafiński (1850-1928), professor at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow (then Austro-Hungary). Two questions concerned the blessing of plants by Polish people during various holidays. Information on the plants was included in letters from 76 correspondents. The most plant names - 90 - were provided by Apolinary Chrzanowski. These names were used in the Janów district in the Lublin "gubernya". Rostafiński received a total of 1,052 records (13.84 records per respondent, median - 9). Ca. 160 species and at least 48 genera of plants, blessed during various religious ceremonies, were identified in the submitted responses. The most frequently blessed were Sedum acre L. and Artemisia abrotanum L. - 43 records each, and Thymus sp. - 40. Plants were blessed during the following holidays: Epiphany (4 records: 2 species, 2 records indet.), Easter (10 records: 6 species, 1 genus, and 1 indet.), Pentecost (15 records: 9 species, 3 genera), Corpus Christi (426 records: 86 species, 33 genera, 31 indet.), Assumption of Our Lady (585 records: 125 species, 43 genera, 53 indet.), eve of St. John (St. Ivan) (3 records: 3 species), St. Blaise (1 record: 1 genus), St. Nicholas (1 record: 1 species), weddings (2 records: 2 species), unspecified celebrations (4 records: 3 species). Blessed plants were stored and then used, generally as drugs or for magical purposes

Konstanty Hektor Prószyński (Proszyński)

Biography of Polish botanist Konstanty Prószyński (1859-1936)