Eugeniusz Romer
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Eugeniusz Mikołaj Romer was the most distinguished Polish geographer and cartographer, whose maps and atlases are still highly appreciated by Polish experts. Born February 3, 1871 in Lwow, he graduated from a high school in Nowy Sacz. He studied history, geology, geography and meteorology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, also attended courses in Lwow and Halle (Saale). In 1894, Romer earned a doctorate in philosophy at the Lwow University.
In final years of the XIX century, he went to Vienna and Berlin to broaden his knowledge of glaciology, geology and meteorology. Romer also went to Lausanne, to study tectonics and morphology. In 1911 he became professor of the Lwow University (in 1946 also of Jagiellonian University), later he was named professor honoris causa at the univerities in Lwow, Poznan and Krakow. In 1952 he became a member of Polish Academy of Sciences
In 1909 Romer went to Switzerland, to examine Alpine glaciers. Next year, he traveled to Asia, in 1913 - to Alaska, to the Saint Elias Mountains (one of glaciers there has been named after him). In 1916, while in Vienna, Romer started work on the Great Statistical and Geographical Atlas of Poland. This publication was crucial with establishing borders of the Second Polish Republic. He was a member of the Polish delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919, helping with drawing western border of Poland.
In 1921 in Lwow Romer founded Cartigraphical Institute Ksiaznica-Atlas, which was after World War Two moved to Wroclaw and which exists until today. In 1929 he decided to retire, concentrating his activities on the Institute. However, he kept close ties with Lwow’s Jan Kazimierz University, lecturing and examining.
In 1941, when Lwow was captured by the Germans, he hid in a monastery at Piekarska Street and this decision probably saved his life (see: Massacre of Lwów professors). Soon afterwards, the Home Army decided to move him to Warsaw, from where he was to be transferred to England, to work as an advisor of the Polish Government-in-Exile. However, doctors recommended that Romer should stay in the occupied country, as the journey was too risky for his weak health. Thus, he remained in Warsaw, using fake name Edmund Piotrowski. Romer survived the Warsaw Uprising and the camp in Pruszkow.
After the war, he settled in Krakow, taking post of director of Department of Geography at the Jagiellonian University. Since 1899, he had been married to Jadwiga Rossknecht, daughter of co-owner of the Okocim Brewery. They had two sons: Witold Romer (1900-1967), professor of the Wrocław University of Technology and Edmund Romer (1904-1988), professor of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice.
Eugeniusz Romer died on January 28, 1954 in Krakow and was buried at the Salwator Cemetery.
