Stanislaw Bolkowski (1930-2023)
Not so long ago – late this spring – I saw Professor Stanislaw Bolkowski at the Warsaw House of Technicians NOT on ul. Czackiego. A July 16, 2023. Bogdan Muszyński, chairman of the Warsaw Chapter of the EIT SEP Branch, delivered the sad news that Professor Stanislaw Bolkowski passed away on July 14.
Prof. Stanislaw Bolkowski belonged to the generation that personally experienced the tragedy of World War II. He was born in the Borderlands of the Republic, in Rowne on December 12, 1930, and was found in this village by the outbreak of war. In 1940 he was exiled with his mother to Siberia, from where he returned to Poland in 1946. He settled in Lodz, where he attended high school, and after passing his matriculation exam in 1950 decided to study engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology. His first professional job was also connected with this university. He began his studies in 1950 at the Electrical Faculty of the Warsaw University of Technology and just two years later became a deputy junior assistant in the Department of Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering of his alma mater. At the time, it was not unusual for students to be entrusted with teaching. Today this would not be the case, but both in the Second Republic of Poland, but also in post-World War II Poland, capable students – the final years of their studies – performed the duties of assistants.
He received his master’s degree in electrical engineering with a specialty in electrical power networks in 1956, and in 1965, defended his doctoral dissertation prepared under the supervision of Professor Tadeusz Cholewicki at the Electrical Faculty of the Warsaw University of Technology. At his alma mater, he went through all professional levels: assistant, assistant professor, associate professor, associate professor, and in 1992 he was appointed full professor at the Institute of Theoretical Electrical Engineering and Electrical Metering at PW. At PW, he held the position of Deputy Director of the Institute of Theoretical Electrical and Electrical Metering, was Head of the Department of Theoretical Electrical Engineering, Vice Dean and then Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. In the 1996-1999 term, he was elected Vice-Rector for Teaching, and in the 1999-2002 term, he was elected Vice-Rector for Science at PW.
From 2002 to 2011, he worked at the Bialystok University of Technology, Department of Theoretical Electrical Engineering and Metrology. Years later, he recalled: also an important experience was his additional six years as a senior engineer at the Central District Electricity Company.
The professor was a prominent specialist in electrical circuit theory and electromagnetic field theory. He dealt with the issues of distributed parameter circuits and nonlinear circuits using the state variable method to study multidimensional systems. He was the supervisor of eight PhDs and reviewer of dozens of doctoral dissertations and more than a dozen postdoctoral dissertations. Author of more than a hundred scientific papers and seven academic textbooks. He elaborated, among other things. several hundred entries to the “Encyclopedia of Technology” and a chapter on electric circuit theory to the “Handbook of Electrical Engineers” which has many editions.
Very well-liked and respected by students, as evidenced by, among other things. opinion of one of them, expressed during an online forum. He advises a colleague having difficulty mastering the material for the exam: Take a look at the Bible of the esteemed Professor Bolkowski. With circuits it’s like math, because it’s actually math, only that it’s electrical. Silesian University of Technology awarded him in 2009. – In recognition of his scientific, teaching and organizational achievements in the field of electrical engineering – the dignity of Doctor Honoris Causa.
He passed away an excellent scientist, a great didactician, an outstanding activist in the engineering movement, who for many decades was able to shape the face of not only Polish science, but also built the strength of the social impact of the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers (SEP). He joined the association in 1950. and, almost to the last moments of his life, was involved in its activities to the highest degree. The “sep community” entrusted him with the mandate of vice-president of the SEP General Assembly (1994-1998), and then twice as president(1998-2002; 2002-2006).
He passed away a man who went down in the memory of his colleagues, students and the circle of SEP activists as by all means exceptional. His attitude toward people was characterized by great kindness and always a cordial desire to help. In his dealings with people, he was characterized precisely by modesty, helpfulness, as emphasized by those who knew him closely. Above all, he demanded first of himself, and only then of those with whom he came – over many decades – to carry out research projects, teaching programs, publishing initiatives and very numerous ventures in the social arena.
Marek Bielski
