Mirosław Bujanowski Centre for History of Bialystok University of Technology opened for the first time on the Night of Museums

– ‘This is the first time we have opened the doors of the Centre on the Night of Museums,’ said the director of the institution, Maciej Kłopotowski, PhD, Eng, Arch. – ‘The exhibition consists of 10 thematic parts connected with the history of the University, traditions, its functioning, people and the present day. There are several hundred exhibits – from Edison’s original light bulb to a Mars rover.’

As the director emphasised, the collection of the exposition has been gathered over the years by Mirosław Bujanowski, Eng, a passionate and enthusiastic collector of artefacts connected with the history of the University and its present day.

– ‘There is a series of artefacts connected with the life of our University, which we collected over a year and a half. Some of the items were also brought by BUT employees,’ added Mr Kłopotowski.

Visitors can also see unique, first plans of the campus that was to be built in Grunwaldzka Street. It was designed on fragile tracing paper, hand-drawn and described – today such designs do not exist anymore.

The Centre for History of Bialystok University of Technology is located in the building of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, in the rooms which once housed the university senate chamber.

And it was here, on the Night of Museums, that interested citizens and university employees came to reminisce or to show their children the history of technology.

– ‘I want my son to see what a museum looks like, because this is a specific history – of technology and engineering, so it is worth introducing him to this kind of history from an early age,’ said Bożena and revealed: – ‘The patron of the Centre is my friend who taught and showed me a lot.’

According to another visitor, the Centre is a good idea. – ‘You can learn something interesting about Bialystok University of Technology, how it was established, what ideas there used to be and what it looks like now,’ explained a Bialystok resident.

And old projects are not everything. You can see photos of students and memorabilia from decades ago, graphs, drawing curves and tools that were once used by engineers, projectors, overhead projectors, the original senate table and chairs, old tape recorders, telephones, tv sets, as well as contemporary objects: photos from the work of scientific circles, student events, photons, Martian rovers, or… memorabilia from Radio Akadera.

For many, the exhibition has a sentimental character. – ‘I am a university graduate. Today I came to reminisce,’ admitted Magda, who went to the Centre with her family on the Night of Museums. Her several-year-old son Dominik could not hide his surprise when he saw the old exhibits – a tv set, a radio and a dial telephone. Also Wojtek, another young visitor, while touching an old typewriter, admitted that he did not know how “it” was operated.

Katarzyna is convinced that the Centre for History of Bialystok University of Technology is unique. She admits she is surprised with the amount of work that has been put into it and the exhibits that can be seen. – ‘I like it very much. It’s basically a journey through time, the historical part, like the beginnings of Bialystok University of Technology,’ she said during the Night of Museums.

How to visit the Centre for History of Bialystok University of Technology? Check the Centre’s website and make an appointment (via e-mail or telephone) to see the exhibits – either with a guide or individually (all the exhibits are described). And, as director Maciej Kłopotowski reveals, work on an audio guide is in progress.

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