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History of Institute of Anthropology Polish Academy of Sciences
History of Institute of Anthropology Polish Academy of Sciences
The Institute of Anthropology, as a part of the Polish Academy of Sciences, was launched on December 30th, 1952 as a continuation of pre-war polish anthropology institutes; the oldest institute was constructed in Warsaw in 1905. After the 2nd World War the entire institute collection was transferred by Professor Boleslaw Rosinski, to a newly formed institute in Wroclaw under the supervision of Professor Jan Mydlarski.
Professor Jan Mydlarski (1892-1956), as the first director of the new Institute, conducted the research that resulted in the first anthropometrical survey of the Polish population. He supervised projects in diverse areas, such as ethnogenetics, phylogenetics and morphological anthropology. The Institute also began to reconstruct a large number of fossilized human forms.
The successor of Professor Mydlarski was Professor Dr. Adam Wanke (1906-1971) who ran the Institute from 1956 until 1965. He was well-known in the international anthropological community as the creator of two mathematical methods of analysis, which have been widely used in many branches of science. In 1959 a much needed office was opened that specialized in judicial matters. The main task of this office was to conduct paternity tests that could be used in Court. In addition, cross-sectional and later longitudinal studies began that were intended to study the physical development of children and adolescents. In 1961 was initiated the well-known „Wroclaw Growth Study”, a longitudinal examination of youth growth.
In 1965 Professor Dr. Halina Milicerowa (1907–1995) was announced as the director for the following four years. The change of director brought changes to the scientific profile of the institute which initiated the development of some new research techniques. With the aid of Professor Milicerowa, Dr. Zofia Światkowska, started a longitudinal study of twins, known as the “Wroclaw Twin Study”. Furthermore, a novel work of Milicerowa entitled the “Menarchy of Wroclaw’s Girls in Relation to Variables of Environment” was a turning point in the development of further branches of research. Ideas from this work laid the foundation for many other research projects concerning social stratification. It was also important that the study of ergonomic began, focusing mainly on the standards of workplaces.
Professor Dr. hab. Tadeusz Bielicki, became the head of the institute in 1970, and remained in the position for over thirty
years. During his time as director, the institute activity was focused on longitudinal studies using army recruits and twins as research subjects. The third and fourth anthropological survey of the Polish population were completed with a double examination of the growth rate of Upper Silesian girls. A close cooperation with the modern Dolmed medical Centre resulted in studies of the adult population in Wroclaw.
years. During his time as director, the institute activity was focused on longitudinal studies using army recruits and twins as research subjects. The third and fourth anthropological survey of the Polish population were completed with a double examination of the growth rate of Upper Silesian girls. A close cooperation with the modern Dolmed medical Centre resulted in studies of the adult population in Wroclaw. The studies of anthroposociology started with the inspiration of Professor Bielecki. By this time the range of research at the institute was very diverse and included studies in the areas of human biology, medical science, sociology and demography. For more than twenty years, the main speciality of the Institute were the analyse of biological and demographic consequences of social stratification of polish population and it’s change in time. Also the analysis of the secular trends depending on life conditions of the specified social groups and the analysis of the indicators of high biological condition of the polish population during different phases of ontogenesis. The biological state of the polish population is still under examination, especially with studies of the physical condition of children and youth, the biological condition of working society and the increase in the number of premature deaths. One of the most important aspects of this research was the observed differences in the prevalence of obesity in adults.
The other main activity that takes place at the Institute is the study and analysis of ancient populations based upon rich osteological collection. The value of the collection was acknowledged in 2005 by the Polish Science Foundation and resulted in a much appreciated and fully utilized grant for the modernization of the Institute’s bone collector.
The Institute of Anthropology has been involved in the co-organization of many conferences and events. In 1968, the Institute co-organized an international biological program in Warsaw. In addition in 1990 it hosted the International Congress of the European Anthropological Association.
One of the greatest successes of the Institute was the creation of the Human Museum, which was organized in 2002 in join with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Wroclaw.
From 2002 until 2005 the director of the Institute was Professor Pawel Bergman and afterwards for one year Professor Barbara Hulanicka. From September 2006 it is Professor Boguslaw Pawlowski who is the director of the Institute of Anthropology.
