Profesor Henryk Olszewski – uczony spełniony i doceniony

Abstrakt

On 19 August 2021 died Professor Henryk Olszewski, born 2 January 1932. The Deceased was one of the most renowned specialists in history of law and polish parliamentary tradition, especially during the reign of Wasa dynasty. His knowledge based on analysis of manuscripts and constitutions of Polish Diet of XVII century. Professor Henryk Olszewski during all his life was connected with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where he graduated in 1954. All his life reflected the changes in politics: the Stalinist era, real socialism and finally the III Polish Republic. In Poznań, after the “thaw” of 1956 he started as an assistant, wrote his doctoral thesis in 1959, qualified for an associate professor in 1976, received the title of full professor in 1986. His career was connected with state policy in the field of higher education. In 1956 he was appointed to teach the history of political and legal doctrines, and he had to begin anew, although he never left the history of Polish parliament. In the new field of active research, Professor Olszewski became an excellent expert of German political thought, especially of XIX-th and XX-th century. His life was full of different activities and functions. He was the dean of Faculty of Law and Administration (1975–1978), member of Polish Academy of Sciences, and of Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also an active member of many international bodies, among them the most important was the “International Commission for Teaching of History” and the Commission for history of European parliaments. His publications count more than 700 titles, and he was active in more than 300 cases as a professor conferring a doctoral degree or reviewer in habilitation procedures. For over 40 years, Professor Olszewski was an editor in chief of “Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne”, one of the best Polish scientific periodicals (Legal-Historical Periodical). His personal feature was his attention to the history of legal and historical science of institutions and scientists, he was even known as “custodian of scientific memory”. His extraordinary knowledge and scientific excellence were recognized by the scientific world – he became doctor honoris causa multi, Professor Henryk Olszewski received the title at Europa-Universität-Viadrina (2001) and at Jagiellonian University (2011). Adam Mickiewicz University renewed his doctor title in 2015.