19 November - The University of Warsaw was founded in 1816

 

The University of Warsaw was founded on 19 November 1816 by Tsar Alexander I of Russia, then ruler of the Polish territories. It was originally called the Royal University of Warsaw and created to strengthen education in the region after political upheavals.

1831 – Closure After the November Uprising

Following Poland’s failed November Uprising against Russian rule, the university was closed by Russian authorities as punishment for its support of independence movements.

1862–1869 – Reopening and Russification

The school reopened as the Main School of Warsaw, which became a center of Polish cultural and scientific life.
However, after another uprising (the January Uprising of 1863), the institution was dissolved and replaced with a Russian-language Imperial University, part of a larger effort to suppress Polish identity.

1915 – Rebirth During World War I

When German forces occupied Warsaw in WWI, they allowed the creation of a fully Polish-language university. This marked the true beginning of the modern University of Warsaw.

1918–1939 – Rapid Growth in Independent Poland

After Poland regained independence, the university expanded rapidly, becoming a major center of academic life, science, and political thought.

1939–1945 – World War II and the Underground University

The Nazi occupation banned higher education for Poles.
Professors and students continued teaching secretly, forming the Underground University of Warsaw — one of the largest clandestine education systems in occupied Europe.

Post-1945 – Rebuilding and the Communist Era

After the war, the campus was rebuilt.
During the communist period, the university was state-controlled but remained an important center for Polish science, humanities, and political activism (especially in the 1968 student protests).

1989–Present – Modern European University

After the fall of communism, the University of Warsaw modernized and expanded:

• Became one of the top universities in Central Europe

• Developed strong international partnerships

• Gained recognition in natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences

Today it is:

• The largest and top-ranked university in Poland

• One of the leading academic institutions in Central and Eastern Europe