Władysław Folkierski w Peru

This article is a biographical study of Władysław Folkierski, Polish engineer and scientist. It presents new facts about his life and career and also re-examines certain facts which until now have either been presented incorrectly or incompletely. Between 1874 and 1889, he lived in Peru, where he worked as a Government engineer, and is remembered as a talented and competent professional. He was also considered an efficient supervisor and administrator of the railroad, as well as of water transport on Lake Titicaca. In addition, he was a lecturer, a scientist, a reformer of higher and secondary education, and for many years Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of San Marcos. A description of the life and work in Peru of this Pole constitutes the main part of this study. Excerpts from Władysław Folkierski’s letters published in the Polish nineteenth century press are included in the study and provide a valuable insight into his personal views and perception of Peruvian reality. Apart from his Peruvian achievements, Władysław Folkierski is highly regarded in his homeland in the field of science and technology. He is the author of a wellknown nineteenth-century mathematics textbook, and of several smaller, yet significant, scientific publications. He is also known as the engineer responsible for the Stanisławów – Woronienka and Chabówka – Zakopane railway links.