Faculty of History NCU in Torun

Dean

• dr hab. Jacek Gzella, assoc. prof.
  phone: (0-48-56) 622-62-03 and (0-48-56) 611-37-12

Associate Deans

• dr hab. Dariusz Poliński, assoc. prof.
  phone: (0-48-56) 622-77-95 and (0-48-56) 611-37-55
• dr hab. Stanisław Roszak, assoc. prof.
  phone: (0-48-56) 622-77-95 and (0-48-56) 611-37-55
• prof. dr hab. Wiesław Sieradzan
  phone: (0-48-56) 622-77-95 and (0-48-56) 611-37-55

Administration:

Administrative Head of Collegium Humanisticum:

The Faculty of History started its activity on September 1st 1993. It was founded by merging two large institutes with respected scientific and teaching reputation: the Institute of Archaeology and the Institute of History and Archival Science, which used to be part of the structure of the Faculty of Humanities. After several months, on  January 1st  1994 the organizational shape of the Faculty was changed - the Institute of History and Archival Science was separated from the Department of Book Studies and Information. Professor Janusz Tondel (PhD hab.) became its director. Having developed rapidly, this department was converted into the Institute of Information and Book Studies. At the moment its director is Professor Bronisława Woźniczka-Paruzel (PhD hab.). In order to meet the training needs of the highly qualified staff of art and culture historians for a wider area of northern Poland, on October 1st  1997 a decision was made to set up the Department of History  of Art and Culture. Having strengthened its research staff the following year, the Department became an independent scientific and teaching unit. Its founder and the first director was Professor Zygmunt Waźbiński (PhD hab.) The department is currently led by associated professor Ryszard Mączyński (PhD hab.) April 1st 2000 was important in the history of the Faculty as it was then that the Department of International Relations was created and was initially led by Zbigniew Karpus, assoc. professor (PhD hab.).  The foundation of the staff of the department chair was built by department of the same name, founded a year earlier. Its founder and the first director was professor Sławomir Kalembka (PhD hab.). On March 1st 2005 with the decision of the Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus University the department chair was converted into the Institute of International Relations.

Finally, the youngest part of the faculty is The Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology. On January 1st 2003 the University Senate decided to create an independent Department of  Ethnology separating it from the Institute of  Archaeology and Ethnology. Wojciech Olszewski (PhD)  held the position of the temporary head of the Department of Ethnology. On 1 April 2007 the Department of Ethnology was transformed into the department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, which is currently headed by Wojciech Olszewski ((PhD hab.). The consequence of this transformation was the change of the name of the institute, which on January 1st 2003 became the Institute of Archeology. Its director was professor Jadwiga Chudziakowa (PhD hab.) who had previously led the Institute of Archeology and Ethnology for many years. Later on, professor Andrzej Nowakowski (PhD hab.) was the Institute director. Since 2008 the institute has been headed by professor Wojciech Chudziak (PhD hab.). The Faculty has also a mission abroad. It is “Polnische Historische Mission an der Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg” (http://historicus.umk.pl/pmh/pl/index/.html. which is led by Renata Skowrońska-Kamińska (PhD).

In 1993 the first dean of the new Faculty was elected - professor Janusz Małłek, a historian of modern history, Prussia and the Scandinavian countries (PhD hab.). The Associate Dean was professor Andrzej Nowakowski (PhD hab.), an archaeologist and a specialist in historical weapons and military equipment. A very dynamic growth forced by the Faculty, already in the first term, increased the second dean’s the authority. On 1 July 1995 Grażyna Gzella (PhD hab.), a specialist in the field of book studies, press knowledge and history of the 19th  and 20th  century books, took over the function. In the second term, which lasted from 1 September 1996 to 31 August 1999, professor Janusz Małłek (PhD hab.) and professor Andrzej Nowakowski (PhD hab.) retained their functions, whereas Grażyna Gzella (PhD hab.) replaced professor Ryszard Sudziński (PhD), a historian of contemporary Polish history. In 1998 professor Branisława Woźniczka-Paruzel (PhD hab.), a book studies specialist in bibliotherapy and newspapers for children, was elected dean and  replaced professor R. Sudziński (PhD hab.),
In the third term (September 1, 1999 – 31 August 2002) prof. Andrzej Radzimiński (PhD hab.) a historian of Middle Ages and of Catholic Church and clergy in Poland and Europe, became dean and was supported by Associate Deans: professor Andrzej Kola (PhD hab.), an archaeologist and professor Jan Sziling (PhD hab.), a specialist in contemporary Polish and common history. In the next term (1 September 2002 – 31 August 2005) professor Waldemar Rezmer (PhD hab.) became dean  and associate Deans were professor Jacek Gzella (PhD hab.)  a historian of political thought and history of the press, and professor Jan Sziling (PhD hab.) During the fifth term the Faculty authorities  were: the Dean – professor W. Rezmer (PhD hab.), Associate Deans: professor Mariusz Wołos (PhD hab.) specialising in Polish and world history of the twentieth century) and professor J. Gzella (from 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2008). On 19 September 2007, professor Dariusz Poliński (PhD hab.), an archaeologist and paleodemography expert, replaced  professor M. Wołos (PhD hab.) and was elected Associate Dean. Since 1 September 2008 the Faculty has been directed by: the dean – professor Jacek Gzella (PhD hab.), Associate Deans: professor D. Poliński (PhD hab.), professor Stanisław Roszak(PhD hab.), a specialist in the cultural history of Baroque and Enlightenment and Teaching History, professor Wiesław Sieradzan (PhD hab.) a specialist in the history of Middle Ages, the history of Mazovia and Teutonic State in Prussia and the history of cartography.
In 2009 the Institute of International Relations left the structure of Faculty of History and joined the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies.

Research and teaching staff has 167 people, including 27 professors with an academic title and 42 assistant professors. They are supported by 79 doctors and 19 people with a Master’s degree. The  teaching offer of the Faculty is wide and is conducted six teaching streams: Archeology, Archive Science and Records Management, Bibliology, Ethnology, History, History of Art. The Faculty offers full-time, postgraduate and PhD studies. 

Translated by Wiesław Sieradzan and Katarzyna Spaccasassi