From the history of Institue of Experimental Physics

Andrzej Kajetan Wróblewski

The first part of the physics building at Hoża 69 - the present site of the Institute - was officially opened in January, 1921. Its founder, Stefan Pieńkowski (1883-1953), later also the rector of Warsaw University, launched an ambitious programme of creating in Warsaw a strong and internationally recognized centre of physics. He started from almost nothing but in a short time succeeded to organize a world-renowned institute of experimental molecular optics which was Pieńkowski?s own field. He was later joined by Czesław Białobrzeski (1878-1953), who initiated theoretical physics. Białobrzeski, one of the best known Polish theorists, was the first to point out (in 1913) the importance of radiation pressure in the internal constitution of the stars.

 

During World War II the astronomical observatory and the physics institute at Hoża 69 were completely destroyed. Pieńkowski had once more to start building Warsaw physics centre.

The activity of the Institute of Experimental Physics at Hoża has soon expanded into several areas of physics. Pieńkowski re-established optical research while his pupils developed studies in other fields. Andrzej Sołtan (1897-1959) formed a nuclear physics group. Leonard Sosnowski (1911-1986), one of the pioneers of the p-n junction in semiconductors, organized a solid state physics group. Marian Danysz (1909-1983) and Jerzy Pniewski (1913-1989) started an elementary particle physics group and in 1952 discovered hypernuclei, which many regard as the most important experimental discovery in post-war Polish physics.