Kobieta uczoną – droga Polek do samodzielności naukowej

The aim of this paper is to outline the arduous road Polish women had to take to gain equal rights in the domain of education, which ultimately enabled them to assume professions of their choosing, including that of a scholar. The author was interested in the stages of the struggle to access higher education, as well as the progress of academic careers of women, who played major roles in their respective disciplines. In terms of sources, the paper relies on documents from university archives (personal files, doctoral and post-doctoral records) and extensive, albeit dispersed and incomplete literature of the subject. Fragments of memoirs, correspondence and press were used as well. Based on the above material, the author was able to collate percentage ratios of women among students, auxiliary scientific staff, associate professors and professors. The chronological perspective spans mid-19th century to the moment of regaining independence and then into the interwar years, when the first women gained veniam legendi and were entrusted university chairs. The paper does not exclusively discuss the situation in Polish science as, whenever possible, comparisons are made with the circumstances elsewhere in Europe. The text is divided into two parts, the first of which presents the stages of the “fight” for access to higher schools, mentioning female students of international and Polish universities. The second part outlines the careers of particular scholars in the interwar years, to be followed by general conclusions. The most important of those is that in Polish and European science alike male domination, conservatism and paternalism endured for a long time. Women’s involvement in science was much belated (first fully-fledged female students appeared at the universities of Galicia only in the late 1890s). The number of studying women and then women scientists grew slowly but steadily. The stability of female scientific careers (associated with employment in research institutions) benefited from staff shortages at universities (men having been called into military service in view of the war and establishment of new universities). Women who successfully developed their careers usually had to work harder to prove their “aptitude” in scientific research and gain prestige. Many of them sacrificed their private lives for the sake of science. The scientific careers of women were considerably influenced by the support from the loved ones and the open-minded mentors who endorsed them.

The text outlines the efforts of Polish women to be given access to academic education and, in consequence, scholarly career culminating in at least a post-doctoral degree. The author also presents data reflecting the number of women on the territory of Poland who obtained successive scientific degrees/titles, starting with doctorate, through a post-doctoral degree to full professors. To illustrate the data, the author cites specific examples of successful female careers in humanities and sciences. The timeframe spans the period from the turn of the 20th century to 1939.