Opening seminar from the series “The archaeologists of Toruń: memory and accomplishments”. Toruń 28 January 2025

Abstract

On 28 January 2025, in the building of the Institute of Archaeology, NCU, an open seminar was held as part of a scheduled series of meetings jointly titled “The Archaeologists of Toruń: Memory and Accomplishments”. The opening session was dedicated to the figure of Professor Kazimierz Żurowski (1909–1987), the first director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, NCU, and also the originator of several teaching specialties for archaeology students. The pretext for organising this event was the handing over to the Institute the Professor’s legacy by his daughter Maria Żurowska-Gangi. In the initial part of the meeting, the profile of Professor Żukowski was recalled (M. Malak). The donated archives were processed by employees of the Institute of History and Archival Studies, NCU, and the results of these efforts were presented at the January meeting (W. Chorążyczewski). Natalia Bułyk, Ukrainian researcher investigating Żurowski’s activity during his work in Lviv, who was invited to the seminar, presented his scientific oeuvre and the environment that he operated in at that time. Subsequent lectures provided a closer look at Professor’s accomplishments in the field of prehistoric archaeology (J. Gackowski) and early historic archaeology (W. Chudziak). As for the latter, his activity in the organisational structures for the millennium celebrations was stressed, among others, his commitment in the research on the early Piast Gniezno and Ostrów Lednicki. At the meeting, an emphasis was also put on Żurowski’s important role in the programme of protection of the archaeological legacy of the Recovered Territories, which was well-documented in the donated archival records. In the second part of the seminar, its participants shared memories of  Żurowski. The meeting was accompanied by a commemorative exhibition of  Professor’s legacy. The post-conference material (papers and oral history archives) will be published in the year 2026.