The Mieczysław Wolfke symposium is behind us
The symposium was visited by the great-granddaughters of Mieczysław Wolfke and their families
On the hundredth anniversary of the appointment of Mieczysław Wolfke as professor of physics at the Warsaw University of Technology and the 75th anniversary of his death, a solemn symposium was held at the Faculty of Physics. The guests were distinguished guests gathered at the National Forum of Deans of Faculties of Physics and Directors of Institutes of Physics. Descendants of prof. Wolfke.
The symposium was opened by prof. Wojciech Wróbel, Dean of the Faculty of Physics, informing that 2022 was announced by the Warsaw University of Technology, the Polish Physical Society, the Polish Photonics Sciety and the Physics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences as the Year of Mieczysław Wolfke. Then, on behalf of the Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology, prof. Mirosław Karpierz, currently Vice-Rector for General Affairs, previously - Dean of the Faculty of Physics took a floor. Further session were conducted by the organizer of the symposium, prof. Jerzy Garbarczyk.
The inaugural lecture was devoted to the life story of prof. Wolfke. The text prepared by dr. Krzysztof Petelczyc was interpreted and read by Robert Górski, a cabaret artist and performer. Thanks to this, the listeners not only got to know Mieczysław Wolfke's biography, but could also experience the emotions accompanying him at different times of his life. The reception was enhanced by special effects prepared by Martyna Jakubowska and Leszek Pawlicki. A monodrama in Polish to watch at Facebook profile of Year of Mieczyslaw Wolfke.
Then, guests from our Faculty, as well as the University of Warsaw, the University of Silesia and the Military University of Technology presented the scientific and organizational achievements of Mieczysław Wolfke. Prof. Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow and prof. Michał Makowski talked about holography, starting with Wolfke's paper on two-stage imaging from 1920, through the Nobel Prize for Dennis Gabor who recalled Wolfke's achievement, and ending with the impressive possibilities of today's holographic techniques tested in our faculty.
After the break, prof. Piotr Magierski presented low-temperature research and the history of modeling quantum liquids, which include the viscous liquid helium II discovered by Wolfke. Prof. Antoni Rogalski, in reference to a paper delivered by Mieczysław Wolfke in 1932, presented the problem of cooperation between physics and technology - scientific research and economy. The topic met with a lively discussion and turned out to arouse controversy among physicists. The symposium ended with a lecture by prof. Jerzy Jarosz, who colorfully talked about the history of discovering the upper parts of the atmosphere with the use of balloons.
The topics discussed at the symposium were published in Polish (with English abstracts) in Postępy Fizyki (2/2022), and the video of the entire event is available on YouTube of the Warsaw University of Technology.
