Agricultural University of Kraków

Agricultural University of Kraków

Uniwersytet Rolniczy w Krakowie
Godlewski College
Type	Public
Established	1890
Rector	Professor Janusz Żmija, Dr Sc.
Address	Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-103 Kraków, Kraków, Poland
Campus	Urban
Website	http://en.ur.krakow.pl/

The Agricultural University of Kraków (Polish: Uniwersytet Rolniczy w Krakowie), located in Kraków, Poland, became an independent university by decree of the Council of Ministers as of 28 September 1972. Formerly, it was known as the Higher College of Agriculture of the Jagiellonian University, as well as other names, since its establishment in 1890.

As early as 1776 the university's patron Hugo Kołłątaj, then a member of the National Education Commission, postulated creating a Department of Agriculture as part of the reformed Cracow Academy. The department existed for a very short period between 1806-1809 due to the partitions of Poland that ended the existence of the sovereign Polish state. Over 80 years later, a three-year Agricultural Study was established at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University in 1890, at the Collegium Iuridicum.

Professor Emil Godlewski became the Head of the Study in 1892. It was thanks to his efforts that the Collegium Agronomicum was built in 1906-1910 for Agricultural Study. The building, later named after him, is now the seat of the Rector's office, and the University's Senate. The Study existed till 1923 when it was transformed into the Faculty of Agriculture of the Jagiellonian University. In 1924 the Faculty offered Europe's first Higher Academic Cooperative Course. The studies took four years and graduates obtained a BSc degree. In the same year horticultural courses were offered, later transformed into a three-year Horticultural Study.

The Second World War caused considerable losses to the University, most seriously among the Faculty of Agriculture staff (see: Operation Sonderaktion Krakau). In spite of considerable difficulties posed by the German occupation secret courses in agronomy were conducted, headed by a temporary Dean Anatol Listowski. After the war, the Faculty resumed its activity in January 1945. In 1946 it was renamed as the Agriculture and Forestry Faculty, and later (1949) transformed into two separate faculties.