Mieczysława Ruxerówna

10.10.1891 – 5.04.1957

Archaeologist

An expert in ancient art and old handicrafts, especially goldsmithing.

1910-1917 – studies in Cracow

1922 – PhD degree

1937 – post-doctoral degree

1949 – professorship

She graduated from the Jagiellonian University, where in 1922 she defended her PhD thesis on archaeology. She was a distinguished expert in ancient goldsmithing and glyptic (the art of engraving gems).

An opportunity for further academic development opened up for her at the University of Poznań. In 1923 she was appointed the deputy professor. Until the outbreak of the Second World War she was the head of the Department of Classical Archaeology. At that time she was only one of two women holding such high positions at the University of Poznań (the other was Ludwika Dobrzyńska-Rybicka).

In 1937 she received a post-doctoral degree on the basis of her long-time research on ancient jewellery. While gathering materials for her research, she familiarised herself thoroughly with the collections of many European museums and libraries (especially Italian and Greek). Her life’s work was The history of a Greek necklace. At the time of its publication it was the most important study of the subject.

Ruxerówna was also very popular among the students.