On the roots of the institute of geophysics, Polish academy of sciences

Abstract

The Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, established in 1952, continues the long tradition of geophysical research done by the Poles in the past. The ample history of geophysical sciences, predominantly associated with academic centers in Kraków (Cracow), Lwów (Lviv), Warszawa (Warsaw), and also Wilno (Vilnius) and Poznań, is briefly outlined. The world’s first Chair of Geophysics was established at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków in 1895 by Prof. Maurycy P. Rudzki. Various geophysical observatories and stations are mentioned, some of them having roots in the 19th century.