Mirosław Bujanowski Center of History of the Bialystok University of Technology
ul. Wiejska 45C
15-351 Białystok
tel. 85 746 91 36 / 85 746 93 18
centrumhistorii@pb.edu.pl
www.biblioteka.pb.edu.pl
www.pb.edu.pl
Director: (University Archives and History Centre): Maciej Kłopotowski PhD
Staff: Beata Fiedorowicz MA, Agnieszka Halicka MA, Kamila Koroniecka MA, Elżbieta Kudłowska MA, Agnieszka Kamińska – Czech, MA
The idea behind collecting memorabilia related to the history of the Białystok University of Technology dates back to the 1980s when Mirosław Bujanowski, a member of the committee responsible for the liquidation of the school’s assets, started collecting technical devices and objects connected with the life of the university. During the committee’s work he examined the items that were to be liquidated and safeguarded, and stored those he believed to be the most valuable.
This is how many of them survived, including a two-cylinder steam engine, a 24-hour data logger for voltage and an editor’s keyboard. On 7 February 2007, an exhibition entitled ʽMuzeum Elektryczności Politechniki Białostockiej’ (Museum of Electricity of the Białystok University of Technology) was opened at the Faculty of Electrical
Engineering inspired by an exhibition of Prof. Kazimierz Cywiński. It was prepared in collaboration with Mirosław Bujanowski, Andrzej Gryczko, Piotr Mingielewicz, and Wojciech Walendziuk, among others. In December 2017 a request to purchase display cases for the emerging museum was sent to the rector of the Białystok University of Technology, Prof. Joanicjusz Nazarko. These efforts resulted in an exhibition fancifully entitled ‛Eksponatorium ALMARIA’ (ALMARIA Repository). The collection, which has been growing over the years, shows the development of
electrical engineering. At the same time, Mirosław Bujanowski continued to collect new exhibits relating to the history of the university. On 5 November 2012 he was appointed the rector’s representative to create a Hall of Memory. The exhibits – devices illustrating technical development, standards, photographs, posters – were put on display in the former Senate Chamber located in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. When adapting the venue for exhibiting purposes, a separate area was designated for screening presentations. The Hall of Memory, which operated unoficially at the time, was constantly being supplemented with new exhibits. In 2014 Krzysztof Pleskaczuk joined in the preparatory work to launch the Białystok University of Technology Hall of Memory. After Mirosław Bujanowski’s sudden death on 25 September 2017, Krzysztof Pleskaczuk cooperated with Prof. Andrzej Sikorski, rector in charge of education, and Joanna Putko, director of the library, and their efforts led to the Senate of the Białystok University of Technology passing Resolution No. 190/XI/XV/2017 of 23 November 2017 approving the establishment of the Białystok University of Technology History Centre and approving changes to the regulations concerning the organization of the library and information system thus expanding the scope of activities of the University Archives. The Białystok University of Technology History Centre functions within the Library. Since 1 September 2020, the University Archives and History Centre have functioned as an independent entity, and the director is Maciej Kłopotowski, an academic teacher and an architect. Work on a permanent exhibition is underway, which will soon be open to visitors. The plans also include classifying exhibits, preparing a schedule for temporary exhibitions and organizing the storehouse.
Bożena Koszel-Pleskaczuk PhD