Archiwum Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego

The Warsaw University was created in 1816 by Alexander I, emperor of Russia and king of Poland (as a Royal University). It was closed after defeat of the November Uprising in 1831. All University collections (especially: books) were transfered to the Imperial Public Library. The archival holdings were taken over by the Government Commission of Religious Confessions and Education (Komisja Rządowa Wyznań Religijnych i Oświecenia Publicznego) and later: by the archive of the Warsaw Education District. The University (as a Main School - Szkoła Główna) was reactivated in 1862. In June 1915, before of the evacuation of Russian administration from Warsaw, the significant part of the University holdings was transferred to Russia. The small part of records remained in Warsaw as part of the Public Enlightenment Archive (Archiwum Oświecenia Publicznego) - an important University department. The significant part of holdings burned at the beginning of World War II. Only a minority of collections was protected in the building of the Library. In 1940-1942 they were relocated to the building of the Archive of Modern Records in Rakowiecka street and evacuated from Warsaw before Warsaw Uprising. Thanks to it - they survived. After 1945 all records were preserved in the University offices. In 1955 the Records Store of University Acts was established. In 1962 the records of the former Royal University were vindicated from USSR. They are located in the State Archive in Warsaw. The present archive of Warsaw University came into existence in 1972 as a scientific and administrative department of University.

The archive is located in two buildings:

• Krakowskie Przedmieście street 26/28 (records of students from 1915-1939, records of students after 1945 from the following faculties: Medical, Pharmaceutical, Veterinarian, Catholic Theology, and College of Orthodox Theology, general records of the University). -Smyczkowa street 14, room 13 (records of students, PhD, post-doctoral and professorial programs' records, personal records after 1945)

The archive possesses the following kinds of holdings: fragments of 19th century acts of Royal University, Main School, Government Commission of Religious Confessions and Education, 85% of students' albums, examination books, documents of financial offices, statistic data, and records of the faculties (1915-1939), records of former University faculties (theological, medical, veterinarian and pharmaceutical), records of Senate sessions, students and employees' records, documents of doctoral and professorial procedures, records of faculties, several legacies of the University professors (after 1945).