„Ewangelia wiedzy”. Odczyty profesorów Szkoły Głównej
“The Evangel of knowledge”. Lectures of the Main School’s professors

Author(s): Tadeusz Budrewicz
Subject(s): Cultural history, Studies of Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: public lectures; knowledge; popularization; press; Main School
Summary/Abstract: The article elaborates the organization and social-educative importance of public lectures delivered by Warsaw Main School’s professors in 1865–1869. The source of this article are the articles, notes and paragraphs from Warsaw daily papers and magazines. The public lectures were the form of popularization of knowledge and were organized in Warsaw from the beginning of 1860s. About 1200 people attended the lectures and the women were 1/3 of public. Due to these lectures people without education could know the newest intellectual currents, supplement the knowledge and use scientific discoveries in their work. Professors’ lectures were also the form of financial help for indigent students of the school. The financial profits from the lectures were donated to pay tuition fee and grant help. The professors renounced the lectures’ fee. The Main School was closed in 1869 and was replaced by the Imperial University of Warsaw, in which Russian was lecture language. Polish professors gave the public lectures and donated their profits to financial help for students. Russian professors also donated profits from lectures to charitable purposes, coordinated by Russian associations. Main School’s professors integrated school with life of Warsaw. The public lectures contributed to the popularity of this form of cultural and social life. In second half of 19th century the lectures constituted the fashionable style of life and in the same time the approbation for the high position of science in social life.

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