The history

The Department of Structural Mechanics (this time: The Department and Chair of Structural Statics and Strength) was formed after the World War II. This time Gdańsk University of Technology was transformed into a state technical university (24th of May 1945). It was one of the departments of the new Faculty of Civil and Hydro and Marine Civil Engineering. The first Department manager and head was prof. Witold Nowacki. At this helm he continued his research and didactic work of the prison camp period in Woldenburg, he had provided Polytechnic Educational Studies there.

The first period of a Department showed an effort to form the background of courses, schedules of studies and intensive training of research and educational staff. The seminar-type meetings were also provided in holiday time, their domain highly exceeded the regular study programme.
The personality of prof. Witold Nowacki, his teaching skills and research detectiveness, energy, consequence and posotive attitude towards the co-workers made an inviting atmosphere supporting scientific development of the Department. Consequently the Gdańsk community became a leading scientific centre, featured by the first, pioneering scientific journal in the field of mechanics, the quarterly Archives of Applied Mechanics. The list of its co-founders includes prof. Witold Nowacki, prof. Wacław Olszak and prof. Maksymilian T. Huber and prof. Witold Wierzbicki.


The list of Department heads includes:

  • Prof. Witold Nowacki (1945 - 1952)
  • Prof. Roman Kazimierczak (1952 - 1985)
  • Prof. Eugeniusz Bielewicz (1985 - 1993)
  • Prof. Zbigniew Cywiński (1993 - 1998)
  • Prof. Czesław Szymczak (1998 - 2005)
  • Prof. Jacek Chróścielewski (2005 - 2013) (Department of Structural Mechanics and Bridge Structures)
  • Prof. Paweł Kłosowski (2013 - 2017) Assoc.
  • Prof. Agnieszka Tomaszewska (2017 - till now)