Piotr Stefan Wandycz (September 20, 1923 – July 29, 2017) was a Polish-American historian. He was also the President of the
Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America, and
professor emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, specializing in Eastern and Central
European history.
Life
He was born in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
in 1923 during the
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
to Damian and Stefania (Dunikowska) Wandycz and raised in
Lwow.
["Wandycz, Piotr Stefan," in ''Who's Who in Polish America''. Ed. Bolesław Wierzbiański. New York: Bicentennial Publishing Corp., 1996, 484-485.] Wandycz left the country during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
on September 17, 1939, when the Soviet army invaded eastern Poland. He and his family crossed into Romania, and in 1940 went to France. Graduating from the Polish
Lycee in Villard de Lans, he studied at the
University of Grenoble
The Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA, French: meaning "''Grenoble Alps University''") is a public research university in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with about 60,000 students and over 3,000 resea ...
(1941–42). In late 1942 he reached the United Kingdom where he served in the
Polish army until 1945 as a second lieutenant. After the war he studied at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
where he received B.A. and M.A. and the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
(Ph.D. 1951). Later he moved to the United States, where he taught at Indiana University before coming to
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in 1966 as an
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
. He was promoted to a full professorship in 1968 and was named Bradford Durfee Professor in 1989. At Yale, he served as director of graduate studies in Russian and East European studies and in history, the chair of the Council on Russian and East European Studies, and the director of the Language and Area Center. He authored 18 books and over 400 articles and book reviews.
Piotr S. Wandycz was a member of the
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences ( pl, Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of ...
, the
Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America, the
Polish Academy of Learning, and an honorary member of the
Polish Historical Association. His many other honors included the Commander's Cross of the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...
and
honorary degrees from the
University of Wrocław
, ''Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau'' (before 1945)
, free_label = Specialty programs
, free =
, colors = Blue
, website uni.wroc.pl
The University of Wrocław ( pl, Uniwersytet Wrocławski, U ...
, the
Sorbonne, the
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University (Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...
, and the
Catholic University of Lublin
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin ( pl, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, la, Universitas Catholica Lublinensis Ioannis Pauli II, abbreviation KUL), established in 1918. It is the only private college in Poland with the s ...
. He died on July 29, 2017.
Works
Piotr Wandycz was a noted authority on Eastern and Central
European history. His many books include ''France and Her Eastern Allies, 1919-1925'', which won the 1962
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...
's
George Louis Beer Prize;
''The Twilight of French Eastern Alliances, 1926-1936'', which received the
Wayne S. Vucinich Prize of the
American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies; and ''The Price of Freedom: A History of East Central Europe from the Middle Ages to the Present'', which was a 1992
History Book Club selection.
See also
*
List of Poles
References
Further reading
* M.B.B. Biskupski (Co-authored with Neal Pease and Anna Cienciala), "Piotr S. Wandycz - pionier badań w Ameryce nad dziejami Polski i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej" ("Piotr S. Wandycz: A Pioneer in Research in America Concerning Poland and East Central Europe"), in ''Studia z Dziejow Rosji i Europy srodkowo-wschodniej'', 30 (1995), pp. 5–13.
External links
Piotr S. Wandycz homepage at Yale
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wandycz, Piotr S.
1923 births
2017 deaths
20th-century Polish historians
Polish male non-fiction writers
Polish emigrants to the United States
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Grenoble Alpes University alumni
Historians of Polish Americans
Polish expatriates in France
Polish expatriates in the United Kingdom
People associated with the magazine "Kultura"