In 1950, the Higher School of Pedagogy (named after the Silesian Uprisers) was founded in Wrocław, and in 1954 it was relocated to Opole.
In 1958, under the initiative of PhD Alojzy Gembala, with support from Professors Stanisław Kolbuszewski and Stanisław Rospond, as well as Professors Kazimierz Orzechowski and Teodor Musioł, a history program was established to train history teachers. Initially, its organizational structure consisted of departments (Polish History and General History, later also Silesian History). The program’s status was solidified when the Faculty of Philology was transformed into the Faculty of Philology and History. During this period, in addition to Alojzy Gembala and Kazimierz Orzechowski, key roles in developing the history program were played by Professors Jan Seredyka, Władysław Dziewulski, Maurycy and Elżbieta Horn, Leszek Winowski, and Aleksander Rombowski. With the growth of the academic staff and an increasing number of students, the Faculty’s structure evolved, leading to the establishment of further departments organized chronologically (Ancient History, the Feudal Era, Modern History, and Contemporary History), as well as the Department of History Teaching Methods.
As a result of successive structural transformations, the Institute of History was established in October 1971, with Associate Professor Dr. Jan Seredyka as its director. At that time, it consisted of the Department of Modern History (led by Associate Professor Dr. Jan Seredyka), the Department of Contemporary History (led by Associate Professor Dr. habil. Edward Mendel), and the Department of History Teaching Methods (led by Associate Professor Dr. Adam Suchoński). In 1973, the Institute of History became the first department at the Higher School of Pedagogy to obtain the right to confer habilitation (Opole had awarded doctoral degrees in the humanities since 1959). Following the establishment of the University of Opole in 1994, the Faculty of Philology and History was divided in 1997. The Institute of History, having the highest authority to confer academic degrees, became one of the pillars of the newly formed Faculty of History and Pedagogy (renamed the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2016).
The Importance of the Institute of History for the University of Opole
The Institute of History has full academic rights to confer doctoral and habilitation degrees in the humanities, specifically in Polish and general history, as well as to initiate the procedure for awarding the title of professor.
Historians have always played a significant role in the history of Alma Mater Opoliensis. Professors Maurycy Horn (1966-1968) and Jan Seredyka (1969-1972) served as rectors of the Higher School of Pedagogy, while the university was managed for many crucial years by Professor Stanisław Sławomir Nicieja (1996-2002, 2005-2008, 2012-2016) and Professor Marek Masnyk (2016-2024).
The Vice Rectors of the Higher School of Pedagogy were Professors Alojzy Gembala (1954-1959), Maurycy Horn (1959-1966), Jan Seredyka (1968-1969), and Adam Suchoński (1987-1990). The Vice Rectors of the University of Opole included Leszek Kuberski (1999-2005) and Marek Masnyk (2005-2008, 2012-2016).
Historians have also led the Faculty of History and Pedagogy and, since 2016, the Faculty of Social Sciences. This role was held by Professor Marek Masnyk (1999-2005 and 2008-2012) and Professor Janusz Dorobisz (2012-2018). Previously, these same scholars served as deputy deans of the Faculty: Professor Marek Masnyk from 1996 to 1999, and Professor Janusz Dorobisz during the term from 2008 to 2012.
Bibliography
Directors of the Institute of History
Institute of History
Strzelców Bytomskich St. 2
45-084 Opole
tel. +48 77 401 61 80
e-mail: insthist@uni.opole.pl
University of Opole
Kopernika 11a
45-040 Opole, Poland
Rector’s Office
tel.: 77 541 59 03
Chancellor’s Office
tel.: 77 541 60 70
NIP: 754-000-71-79
REGON: 000001382
carefully created by Uniwersytet Opolski
