We owe Prof. Fryze to the… cow
What does a cow have to do with the beginnings of the Silesian University of Technology? It can be said that it was the cow that tied the fate of Prof. Stanisław Fryze with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, established in 1945, one of the first four faculties of the Silesian University of Technology. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the university, the faculty staff together with the pupils of an outstanding professor, privately a dairy lover, decided to introduce in an unconventional way the colourful character and scientific achievements of the creator of the theory of power.
Prof. Stanisław Fryze, one of the most famous professors of the Lviv Polytechnic, came to the Silesian University of Technology, established just a year earlier in June 1946. He was one of the Lviv professors who shaped the university, creating the foundations of faculties, study programs, and teaching programmes. The professor chose Gliwice, among other things, because of the local conditions made available to him.
–“ In the Library of the Silesian University of Technology we have a letter written by a professor in pencil, in which in January 1946 he asks the rector to allocate a villa with room for cows, which he wants to bring from Lviv, and this is because he heard that there is no dairy in Silesia.” – says Dr Eng. Rafał Setlak, Vice-Dean for Student Affairs and Education of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology. The staff of the faculty decided to introduce the figure of professor Fryze, who actually came to Gliwice with a cow, in an unconventional way. Referring to the famous open-air exhibition Cow Parade, during which in nearly one hundred cities around the world appeared sculptures of cows of natural size painted by local artists, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering created the Frize’s Cow.
– “We are very glad that it is such a large-size symbol, because our cow is covered with patches with extracts of an article by a professor from the Electrotechnical Review, concerning his most important work of life, i.e. the theory of power. You can see these formulas there and then return to his book.” – says Vice -Dean Setlak.
The cow wears a QR code bell that refers to a promotional video about the professor and his theory of power. As part of the 80th anniversary of the Silesian University of Technology, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering decided to honour the memory of the professor during “A Breakfast with Fryze”, where nutritious dairy sandwiches were served, and his colourful character and rich scientific achievements were remembered.
– “Professor Fryze is an extraordinary figure, while studying at the Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science. I heard stories about him, for example because one of his pupils, whom the professor considered his best doctoral student, Stefan Węgrzyn, was actually the founder of this faculty” – said Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk, the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology. – “Professor Fryze was known for unconventional methods of conducting research work and teaching students, perhaps thanks to this he gave the foundations for Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Silesian University of Technology in general in the form in which it is today.” – added the rector.
Anecdotes and stories related to the famous professor were also mentioned by his pupils.
– “Professor Fryze was a unique personality, a man of great format, a great academic teacher.“– enumerated Professor Zofia Cichowska, associated for many years with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology, who was a Professor’s assistant. – “These were different times, instead of the Internet, screens, tablets, only chalk, blackboard and the voice of the professor, but in his lectures the starosts did not have to check the attendance, all students were present. In addition to theory, there have always been interesting presentations, additionally accompanied by jokes or life advice for students.” - recalled Prof. Cichowska.
We encourage you to watch the film and to deepen your knowledge about the theory of power by Prof. Stanisław Fryze.
