Krzysztof Pomian - history of science and the Network of Friendship-Intellectual Relations

Abstract

Krzysztof Pomian – History of Science and the Network of Friendship-Intellectual Relations

Abstract. The purpose of this article is to introduce the text by Dominique Pestre, which was presented at the conference “Parmi les hommes, les objets et les signes / Among humans, objects and signs. Hommage à Krzysztof Pomian”. This event was organised on the occasion of Professor Pomian’s 85th birthday, one of the most outstanding contemporary Polish humanists, living and working mainly in France since 1973. The conference took place in Paris on 4–6 April 2019. Its participants included students, colleagues and collaborators of Krzysztof Pomian from Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Israel. The article briefly describes each of the three days of the conference with particular emphasis on the importance of Krzysztof Pomian’s work in such fields as the history of collections and museums, historiography, and European history. Next, the article places Dominique Pestre’s speech in the context of Krzysztof Pomian’s research interests and the development of the history of science in France from the 1980s to today. Finally, the article draws attention to the vital importance of networks of friendship and intellectual relations in the development of science.