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FOUNDATION'S PATRONS
ABOUT PATRONS
Inspiring future generations: the legacy of Helena Harajda and Włodzimierz Kamiński
Helena Harajda and Włodzimierz Kamiński, patrons of the Foundation, are prominent figures whose lives and professional work have inspired the integration of passion with scientific and cultural activities.
Helena Harajda, a recognized scientist and educator, made significant contributions to the development of acoustics and lutherie through her work at the University of Poznań. Her publications and scientific dissertations have secured her a lasting place in the history of Polish science. Włodzimierz Kamiński, a scholar of musicology and the history of musical instruments, served as the curator of the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań, where he not only curated collections but also revitalized musical traditions through the Collegium Musicorum Posnaniensium ensemble. His work as a luthier and involvement in the Association of Polish Luthiers were fundamental to the development of the Polish violin making school. Harajda and Kamiński, through their dedication to science and education, have become an inspiration for future generations in the fields of art and science, symbolizing the fusion of tradition with modernity.
PROF. HELENA HARAJDA
ACOUSTICIAN
EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION
Helena Harajda was born in 1921 in Lublin, Poland, into a family with Kresy roots. Her mother, Kamila Jasielska, worked as a teacher, while her father, Jan Maciej Jasielski, was an engineer. She spent her childhood in the Kresy region — initially in Bitków, and from 1927 in Stanisławów, where she lived and was educated until the outbreak of World War II. She completed her education at the Ursuline Sisters' Gymnasium and High School and attended the Music Conservatory, where she studied the piano. Unfortunately, the war interrupted her musical education a year before she could graduate.
WAR AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE
During the war, Helena was employed in the railway workshops as an intellectual worker during the German occupation, and during the Soviet occupation, she studied at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the Pedagogical Institute. In the years 1944-45, she taught physics at a high school. At the Institute, she met Ryszard Harajda, whom she married on December 31, 1944, in Stanisławów, accelerating the decision to marry due to the changing geopolitical situation and the resettlement of the Kresy population to central Poland. In May 1945, the couple moved to Poznań, where Helena began her studies in musicology at the University of Poznań, obtaining a Master of Philosophy degree in 1950. She continued her education, earning a Master's degree in physics two years later.
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND DISTINCTIONS
Helena was also active in the community — she was involved in the Polish Acoustical Society, was an honorary member of the Catgut Acoustical Society, and the Association of Polish Artist Violin Makers. Her passions were not limited to science; she was an avid tourist, a guide for the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK), and actively participated in the musical and cultural life of Poznań and Zielona Góra. For her professional and social activities, she received numerous awards, including the Golden Cross of Merit and the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
PASSION AND PRIVATE LIFE
Helena Harajda passed away respected as a scientist, teacher, and guide, leaving behind a rich legacy of scientific and social contributions. She felt connected to her Kresy roots until the end of her life, although she spent most of her post-war years in central Poland. Despite geopolitical changes and personal tragedies related to displacements, Helena Harajda never forgot her origins. Her Kresy identity was a source of inspiration in both her personal and professional life.
PROF. WŁODZIMIERZ KAMIŃSKI
LUTHIER
EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION
Włodzimierz Kamiński was born on January 12, 1930, in Gniezno. His mother, Stefania from the Wawszczak family, was a homemaker, and his father, Tomasz Kamiński, served as an officer in the Polish Army. He started his education in 1936 at a primary school, which he finished in 1943 in Cieklin near Gorlice, where his family had been relocated shortly after the outbreak of World War II. In 1942, his father was arrested by the Gestapo and deported to Auschwitz.
POST-WAR PERIOD AND FURTHER EDUCATION
The end of the war in 1945 and the return of his father from the concentration camp enabled young Włodzimierz to continue his education. He began his studies at the Saletine Fathers' Gymnasium in Dębowiec, and in 1947, along with his family, he moved to Szczecin. There, he continued his general education and began learning to play the violin. After passing his high school finals, he enrolled in the Humanities Faculty at the University of Poznań, where under the guidance of Professor Adolf Chybiński, he developed his passion for musicology.
ACADEMIC AND MUSEUM CAREER
In 1952, following the death of Prof. Chybiński, Włodzimierz continued his studies under the supervision of Dr. Maria Szczepańska. Two years later, he earned his Master's degree based on a thesis about the work of foreign composers in Polish manuscripts of the fifteenth century. Concurrently, starting in 1951, he began working in the Department of Musical Instruments at the National Museum in Poznań. In 1962, he defended his doctoral thesis on the development of musical instruments in Polish lands, which led to the publication of his work in 1971.
INVOLVEMENT IN VIOLIN MAKING AND MUSEUM DIRECTION
In 1960, Włodzimierz took up the position of curator at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań, which he held until 1991. At his initiative, the Collegium Musicorum Posnaniensium ensemble was founded, aiming to perform music on historical instruments. During this time, he also learned violin making, which allowed him to explore both the practical and theoretical aspects of this art form. In 1959, he joined the Association of Polish Artists Violin Makers, and in 1964, he became its president, fighting for the recognition of luthiers' creative rights.
PEDAGOGY AND LUTHIER POPULARIZATION
Professor Włodzimierz Kamiński was a pioneer in teaching violin making and the history of musical instruments. He lectured at the Music High School and the Academy of Music in Poznań, as well as at Adam Mickiewicz University, where he conducted lectures on the history of instruments and organology. His goal was to promote knowledge about the construction and history of luthier instruments, which he achieved through numerous lectures, publications, exhibitions, and television programs.