The plaque was placed in the Library and Information Center at the entrance to the hall of Prof. Antoni Dobrzański (father).
"With this commemorative plaque, we want to honor our donor for financial support for the MUW." said Prof. Rafał Krenke, the Rector. "The funds were allocated for the development of the Library and the Medical History Museum at MUW."
What we should know about Prof. Andrzej Dobrzański
Professor Andrzej Iwo Dobrzański was born on March 5, 1929 in Lviv, and in 1942 he and his family moved to Warsaw. He fought in the Warsaw Uprising (as a 15-year-old boy!), and after its fall he was taken prisoner in Germany. After returning to Poland in 1948, he began his studies at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Warsaw. He graduated in 1954. He moved to the United States in 1961. From 1974 to 2000, he was a clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at the George Washington University. He was an outstanding specialist in hand surgery. Prof. Andrzej Iwo Dobrzański was the son of Prof. Antoni Dobrzański, an excellent otolaryngologist closely associated with our university, head of the Otolaryngology Department and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in the years 1947-1949.
Difficulties related to the transfer of funds
Prof. Marek Krawczyk recounted facts from the life of Prof. Antoni Dobrzański (father) and Prof. Andrzej Iwo Dobrzański (son). Prof. Krawczyk mentioned his stay in the United States, during which he visited the hospital where the MUW donor worked. An interesting story also concerned the transfer of funds to our university.
“At that time, our university had to apply to the relevant authorities in the United States in order to obtain tax-free university status. It took us three years." recalled Prof. Krawczyk. "Then, we signed an official contract with Andrew Iwo Dobrzański and it seemed that everything was arranged. However, more obstacles appeared."
According to Professor Krawczyk, only the intervention of an influential congressman helped to bring the matter to an end and almost half a million dollars was transferred to the MUW account.
In the memories of loved ones
During the ceremony, Anthony Dobransky also reminisced about his father.
“My father was a great admirer of his father. He admired not only his excellence in medicine, but also his joy of life, love of nature and outdoor activities. He also passed these traits on to our family. And I have my grandfather's name. My father was also an excellent surgeon. He started here, in Warsaw. However, when he went to the United States, he specialized in orthopedics, specifically in orthopedics of the hand. I remember a situation when I was a little boy sitting on my father's lap, and he was looking at slides that showed various terrible orthopedic injuries. I didn't understand what I was looking at then. I was just with my father and it's a nice memory for me."
Prof. Leszek Dobrzański, a cousin of Prof. Andrzej Iwo Dobrzański also spoke about how it happened that Prof. Andrzej Iwo Dobrzański specialized in hand surgery:
“It was a coincidence. A boy was hospitalized after an unfortunate accident. He lost his hand while working in the field. Andrzej sewed his hand in such a way that it regained its mobility. After this operation, he became famous throughout the United States and devoted his whole life to this discipline."
Who could be met at the ceremony
Prof. Marek Krawczyk was the initiator of the preparation of the commemorative plaque. It was also the Professor, together with the Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw and the son of Andrzej Iwo Dobrzański, who removed the ribbons, symbolically unveiling the plaque. It is worth noting that the event was attended by numerous members of the donor's family. Some of them came from the United States and Mexico: Anthony Dobransky – son (USA), Kasia Grisso Murdoch (USA), Susan Grisso de Ortega (Mexico), Prof. Leszek A. Dobrzański, Teresa Dobrzańska, Prof. Anna D. Dobrzańska-Danikiewicz, Ewa Danikiewicz, Zofia Danikiewicz, Helena Danikiewicz, Dr. Lech B. Dobrzański, Dr. Joanna Dobrzańska, Hanna Dobrzańska, and Antonina Dobrzańska.
Representatives of the MUW authorities were also present at the ceremony, including: Prof. Rafał Krenke, the Rector; Prof. Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska, the Vice Rector for Clinical Affairs and Investment; Prof. Marek Krawczyk, the Rector of MUW in the years 2008-2016; Dr. Piotr Luliński, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy; Prof. Renata Główczyńska, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Prof. Joanna Peradzyńska, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine; Dr. Łukasz Czyżewski, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Prof. Kazimierz Niemczyk, the Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at MUW. The Medical University of Warsaw was also represented by: Grażyna Jermakowicz, the Acting Director of the Medical History Museum at MUW; Dr. Marta Kijak-Bloch, the Chancellor of MUW; Wojciech Bogusz, Vice Chancellor for Investments, Jolanta Ilków, the Bursar, Prof. Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz, a member of the Museum Council; Dr. Ireneusz Sołtyszewski, a member of the Museum Council.
