Tadeusz Banachiewicz in Tartu (1915 to 1918)

Abstract

AbstractTadeusz Banachiewicz (1882-1954) was an outstanding Polish astronomer, mathematician and geodesist. He was a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and director of the Astronomical Observatory (1919-1954), and had a strong influence on Polish astronomy. His achievements led to honorary degrees at universities, fellowships in academies of sciences, and the prestige of high positions in international organizations, such as the International Astronomical Union and the Baltic Geodetic Commission. He is known from both his theoretical and observational studies, his famous motto being: “observo ergo sum”. Here we recall three years of his activity in Tartu, where Tadeusz Banachiewicz made the most important steps in his career. He arrived at Yuryev in October of 1915, employed as a young assistant. In March 1918 he became the extraordinary professor and director of the Astronomical Observatory.