Irena Swaczyna : 1938-2011

Prof. Irena Swaczyna, PhD, was an eminent specialist in the field of historic; art, craft and technology of wooden objects and objects which have wood in them, but foremost she specialized in historical wooden furniture. In 1993 she defended her habilitation thesis at the Faculty of Wood Technology at the Warsaw University (if Life Sciences (SGGW). She received the title of professor in 2001. She was the thesis supervisor of two doctoral dissertations and the examiner of 14, she was also the thesis advisor of ca. 160 diploma theses. Being the co-creator of the historic wood conservation and restoration specialization at the Faculty of Wood Technology, and serving as the head of Academic Council of this specialization, she designed its teaching programs and organized the didactic process. She cooperated with many museums. She was an excellent educator who was whole-heartedly devoted to students with whom she was able to engage in a discourse free from generation animosity. What she valued most was the mission of academic teaching, whose aim - according to her, and in conformance with the program of historic wood conservation and restoration specialization - was saving the Polish cultural heritage, present in all the work crafted in wooden material.