On February 20, we reported on the death of Professor Witold Cęckiewicz — the doyen of Krakow architecture and one of the most important lecturers at the Krakow University of Technology.
funeral ceremony
The news of the professor's death was reported on Monday morning. According to the Malopolska District Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland — the funeral of Professor Witold Ceckiewicz will take place on Friday, February 24, 2023 at 12:00 pm at the Salwator Cemetery in Cracow.
"Lectures of the Masters" series
Those who want to learn about the life and work of Professor Witold Cęckiewicz, in addition to reaching for the monograph on his work published by the Institute of Architecture, can see the documentary film from the series „Lectures of Champions” produced by the Małopolska Regional Chamber of Architects. In the film we will hear a life story told by the professor in his own words, but also an important lesson about what architecture is and should be.
The video will be published in parts by the Malopolska Chamber on their YouTube channel in the coming days. In the first episode, Professor Cęckiewicz talks about growing up and returning to his hometown of New Brzesko.
doyenor of Kraków architecture
Witold Ceckiewicz was born in 1924 in Nowy Brzesko. After the war he studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Cracow University of Technology. He received an honorary degree from his alma mater in 1995. Professor Ceckiewicz was a long-time member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1955-1960 he served as Chief Architect of Krakow.
He was also for many years Director of the Institute of Urban Design of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology. He received numerous decorations, including the Officer's Cross of Polonia Restituta, the KEN Medal or the Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. He was also a soldier in the Home Army. As he himself recalls in a film published by MPOIA — he adopted the pseudonym "Kropidlo."
His most famous realizations were created in Kraków, with which he was almost always associated. It is difficult to imagine Krakow without the "Kijów" cinema and the „Cracovia” hotel, as well as without large residential complexes such as the Mistrzejowice and Podwawelskie estates. The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in New Delhi (in cooperation with Stanisław Deńko) was also an important project in Professor Cęckiewicz's work. He was also co-creator of the Monument to the Revolutionary Deed in Sosnowiec or the monument to the Victims of Fascism in Cracow. Professor Ceckiewicz was also the creator of architecture and small architecture of a sacred nature. His realizations include theDivine Mercy Sanctuary in Krakow's Lagiewniki, the Church of Our Lady in Rodaki, the cathedral in Rzeszow or the papal altars.
How will Professor Ceckiewicz be remembered? First of all, as an educator of several generations of architects who changed the face of Polish architecture, as significantly as their teacher. During his academic career, he was the supervisor of more than six hundred master's theses and twenty-eight doctoral theses.
