Commemorative Plaque for Marianna Sankiewicz Unveiled in Gdańsk
On the 105th anniversary of the birth of PhD Marianna Sankiewicz, a commemorative plaque dedicated to her was unveiled at 8 Fiszera Street in Gdańsk. Representatives of Gdańsk Tech, city authorities, the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association, family, friends, and former students of the longtime lecturer and the first woman to hold the position of vice-rector of Gdańsk Tech attended the ceremony.
On the 105th anniversary of the birth of PhD Marianna Sankiewicz, a commemorative plaque dedicated to her was unveiled at 8 Fiszera Street in Gdańsk. Representatives of Gdańsk Tech, city authorities, the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association, family, friends, and former students of the longtime lecturer and the first woman to hold the position of vice-rector of Gdańsk Tech attended the ceremony.
The ceremony took place on Saturday, September 26, exactly 105 years from the birth of Marianna Sankiewicz. The initiative to commemorate her was undertaken by the Historical Committee of the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association.
Originally, two plaques were to be unveiled that day, the second dedicated to Marianna Sankiewicz’s husband, Gustaw Budzyński, a long-time employee of Gdańsk Tech, a soldier of the Home Army, and a participant in the Warsaw Uprising. Due to reasons beyond the organizers’ control, its unveiling will take place at a later date as a separate event devoted to his achievements and connections with Gdańsk and Gdańsk Tech.
People Create the University’s History
The participants of the ceremony were welcomed by PhD Jan Strawiński, chairman of the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association. He emphasized that the university’s history is created primarily by people.
– The history and spirit of the university are created by people like Professor Marianna. She was a soldier, a prisoner of Stalag, a lecturer, a mentor to youth, and the first female Vice-Rector of Gdańsk Tech. It is precisely such individuals who create the spirit of the university – he said.
On behalf of the Gdańsk authorities, Dorota Raczkowska spoke and read the words addressed to the ceremony participants by the Mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz.
It was emphasized that the city’s history is not only about events, dates, and monuments, but above all about people – their work, passions, achievements, and relationships. Marianna Sankiewicz’s plaque is the 49th commemoration unveiled as part of Gdańsk’s system of memorial plaques.
"This Memory Endures"
Gdańsk Tech was represented at the ceremony by Professor Barbara Wikieł, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs.
– I am immensely proud that the memory of distinguished employees of Gdańsk Tech and scientists endures – she said, expressing gratitude for the initiative to the Alumni Association and the Gdańsk authorities.
Professor Barbara Wikieł also highlighted the special significance of Marianna Sankiewicz’s figure for successive generations of women holding leadership roles at the university. Marianna Sankiewicz was the first woman to serve as a Vice-Rector in the history of Gdańsk Tech. She also recalled personal encounters with Marianna Sankiewicz and the great respect she was surrounded by from her mentees and the faculty community.
More Than a Lecturer and Vice-Rector
A more personal portrait of Marianna Sankiewicz was drawn by a family representative, Ewa Niwińska. She recalled that to her closest ones, she was not “aunt,” as some students and mentees called her, but “Macia.” She spoke about her strong character, her ability to gather family and friends around her, and the apartment on Fiszera Street, which for years was a place of many meetings. She also recalled the extraordinarily strong bond connecting Marianna Sankiewicz with Gustaw Budzyński. They were married for over 60 years.
– They were simply like hand and glove. They never parted – she recalled.
After the speeches, the plaque was unveiled together by representatives of the city, Gdańsk Tech, the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association, and Marianna Sankiewicz’s family.
“Green Ink” and Birthday Cake
After the part of the event held on Fiszera Street, participants moved to the Gdańsk Tech campus. In the Marianna Sankiewicz and Gustaw Budzyński Auditorium at the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, a screening of the film “Green Ink,” dedicated to Marianna Sankiewicz, was held. Its director and screenwriter, Paweł Wyszomirski, spoke about the film and materials that did not appear in its final version.
Professor Piotr Szczuko then delivered a lecture titled “Half Joking, Half Serious about Sound Engineering and AI.” The event concluded with a birthday cake prepared to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Marianna Sankiewicz’s birth on that day.
