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Science Inspires – Dr Kamil Śmiechowski

Research interests of the scientist we are presenting today focus on urban theory, analyses of press discourse, modernisation processes of Poland in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the history of Lodz. He is an award-winning author of books and articles. Outside the academic community, Dr Kamil Åšmiechowski is known as a city activist and a columnist. He has extensive knowledge about the way cities function, which he willingly shares. He would like us to use these resources and learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. Unfortunately, he has no illusions that his dream will ever come true.

Opublikowano: 16 June 2023

Dr Kamil Åšmiechowski on the background of two richly decorated tenement houses from Piotrkowska Street in Lodz

Dr Kamil Åšmiechowski is a historian strongly associated with Lodz. He deals with Poland in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially the history of cities and their modernisation. What he likes most about history is what is about to happen. Thanks to studying the past, he better understands why the present is not working the way we would like. He is a co-founder and a secretary of the 91µÎµÎ Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Studies.

 

What inspired you to become a scientist?

First of all, it was curiosity about the world. It was not enough for me to absorb the knowledge that I obtained during my studies. I joined the activities of a student science club, wrote the first papers and took part in the first conferences already during my studies. Then I started doctoral studies and ... somehow everything went on smoothly.

 

What impact does your work have on the surrounding reality?

I believe that the 21st century will be a time when cities become a natural environment for man. I would like the university to speak out loud on the most important issues related to cities and their development. Lodz – a city unlike any other, which was the avant-garde of modernity in our part of Europe – will have a lot to say in this new reality. Unfortunately, it is fashionable to disregard scientific findings and question what experts say, so I am not very optimistic about the impact of my research on the surrounding reality.

 

How do you understand the term: profession of a scientist?

As scientists, we must be aware of the limitations in which we operate, and at the same time do our things and strive to describe reality in the most reliable way. As historians, we have a unique mission to protect knowledge about the past, which is a multi-threaded matter.

 

More information about Dr Kamil Śiechowski’s work

 

A co-founder and a secretary of

 [Lodz. City of revitalisation] (in Polish)

 [Reymont had talent for journalistic observations] (in Polish)

 [The biggest problems of Warsaw at the beginning of the 20th century. What did residents and experts complain about?] (in Polish)

 [Nuisances and absurdities of life in the Russian partition. What did our ancestors complain about most?] (in Polish)

 

Major publications

 

  •  [Urban issues. Discussion on the problems and future of cities in the Kingdom of Poland 1905–1915] (in Polish)
  •  [The past, present and future of Lodz. Volume 1.] (in Polish)
    The history and identity of an industrial city. A collection of studies on the occasion of 200 years of industrial Lodz
  •  [The Past, Present and Future of Lodz. Volume 2.] (in Polish)
    Industrial city space. A collection of studies on the occasion of 200 years of industrial Lodz
  •  [Lodz vision of progres] (in Polish)
  •  [From the perspective of the capital. The image of Lodz in Warsaw socio-cultural weeklies (1881-1905)] (in Polish)
  •  
  •  [Lodz workers in the second half of the 19th century. New research directions] (in Polish)

 

Scientific achievements

 

 

Source: Dr Kamil Åšmiechowski (Department of Polish History of 19th Century, 91µÎµÎ)

Edit: MichaÅ‚ Gruda (Communications and PR Centre, 91µÎµÎ)

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