The year 1826 – the beginnings of the Warsaw University of Technology

On 4 January 1826, the Preparatory School for the Polytechnic Institute was opened. The date is recognised as the beginning of technical education in Warsaw and the starting point of the Warsaw University of Technology. So, what is the story here?

At the beginning of the 19^th century, the need for the creation of a higher technical school in Warsaw became increasingly stronger among the members of the Polish society. At the time, Stanisław Staszic – an advocate of Enlightenment ideas, writer, publicist, philosopher, translator, and naturalist – actively promoted the development of Polish higher education.

In 1825, Stanisław Staszic headed the Council of the Polytechnic Institute, which aimed to establish a high technical school. The final decision about the creation of a new comprehensive technical university was made on 21 December 1825. The university was named the Preparatory School for the Polytechnic Institute. Initially, it was located in the buildings of the Warsaw University, and since 1828, also in the right wing of the Krasiński Palace (Polish: Pałac Krasińskich). The ultimate location was meant to be the buildings erected by Antonio Corazzi at Smolna, Książęca, and Nowy Świat streets. However, the plan was never implemented.

The ceremonial opening of the Preparatory School for the Polytechnic Institute took place on 4 January 1826 at the Casimir Palace (Polish: Pałac Kazimierzowski), which since 1816 had been the seat of the Warsaw University. Stanisław Staszic made the inaugural speech, and it was his last public appearance (Staszic died on 20 January). 

Education at the School consisted of two-year-long introductory courses, followed by further two years of higher-level instruction. Lower-level courses were divided into first and second grade, roughly corresponding to the secondary school level. Higher-level courses focused on the theory of mathematical and natural sciences and were organised into four faculties:  Civil Engineering, Chemical, Mechanical, and Trade. The organisation of teaching and learning during courses was based on the French system, with Polish as the language of instruction. Kajetan Garbiński – a graduate of College de France, Sorbonne, and École Polytechnique in Paris – was appointed the Director of the Preparatory School, to which 44 first-year students were admitted in 1826.

The school was closed following the outbreak of the November Rising. The matter was definitively settled by the decision of the government in St Petersburg on 19 November 1831.