About the department

Most of them operated in Skierniewice, where the Faculty’s Experimental Field was also established in 1921. The faculty also had gardens in Pole Mokotowskie, taken over from the liquidated University of Horticulture. In the interwar period, new plants were established at the Faculty of Horticulture or the existing ones were transformed, but no radical reforms were carried out. In 1922, the Department of Vegetable Production was established, headed by doc. Feliks Kotowski and the Department of Plant Physiology, initially headed by prof. Kazimierz Bassalik. In 1923, a decorative course was created, the curriculum of which included teaching detailed park science, creating and maintaining ornamental gardens, urban gardening, garden architecture and drawing plans. The Department of Soil Science, headed by Józef Sioma, was moved from the Faculty of Forestry, while the Department of Physics was moved from the Faculty of Horticulture to the Forestry Department. In 1924, the Plant of Cultivation and Fertilization of Roles was established under the supervision of prof. Marian Górski. In the same year, the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics was established, headed by Dr. Jerzy Neyman. In 1927, the Pomological Garden for the Department of Pomology was established in the Skierniewice Gardens. In 1929, a new building of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) at ul. Rakowiecka 8, located in the area assigned to the Warsaw University of Life Sciences by the decision of the Minister of Public Works. In the years 1929-1934, other plants from the Faculty of Horticulture moved to it. Establishment in 1930 of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Park Studies, headed by prof. Arch. Franciszek Krzywda-Polkowski, initiated a new field of study at the Faculty. In the same year, Dr. Roman Kobendza took over the management of the Dendrology Laboratory. In 1934, the Floriculture Studio was established, headed by doc. Stanisław Wóycicki. In the same year, the Apiculture Workshop was established, headed by Dr. Stefan Blank-Weissberg. In 1936, the Department of Utility Plant Geography began working under the supervision of Dr. Aniela Kozłowska. Despite the great global economic crisis at the turn of the 1920s, In the 1980s and 30s, both the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Horticulture developed significantly. In 1939, the Department had 14 plants. At that time, many organizational units of the Faculty were based in Skierniewice. The development of the Palace Settlement began there, planning the construction of dormitories for students. The Dean’s Office and several Departments were located in the new buildings of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences at ul. Rakowiecka 8, where the Experimental Field and the greenhouse complex were also located. The remaining plants had their seats in the building at ul. Hoża 74. During the Second World War, the employees of the Faculty conducted secret education – in the form of secondary vocational education legalized by the occupant and in secret classes. The wartime personnel losses of the Department were very severe and affected employees and students killed in hostilities or murdered by the Germans in various circumstances. The occupation authorities seized a large part of the movable property of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, including that belonging to the Faculty of Horticulture.

On March 12, 1945, a meeting of the Council of the Faculty of Horticulture took place in Skierniewice, during which decisions were made to restore it. The official inauguration of the academic year took place in Warsaw on May 15, 1945. In the academic year 1945/46, work at the Faculty began in 12 Departments (the names of their heads are given in brackets):

• Landscape Architecture and Park Studies (prof. F. Krzywda-Polkowski);
• Phytopathology (Prof. J. Kochman);
• Plant Physiology (Prof. M. Korczewski);
• Plant Genetics and Breeding (Prof. E. Malinowski);
• Soil Science (prof. A. Musierowicz);
• Floriculture and Municipal Gardening (doc. St. Wóycicki);
• Mechanization and Agricultural Machine Science (prof. Cz. Kanafojski);
• Beekeeping (under the supervision of the Rector, Prof. F. Staff);
• Orcharding (from May 1946 – after returning from the USA – prof. Sz. A. Pieniążek);
• Mathematical Statistics (acting head, engineer W. Pytkowski);
• Growing and Breeding Vegetables (prof. E. Chroboczek);
• Cultivation and Fertilization of Roles (Prof. F. Majewski).

The Department of Geography and Ecology of Cultivated Plants (Dr. Aniela Kozłowska resigned from work at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences) and the Department (Laboratory) of Wood Science (Prof. R. Kobendza took up the duties of deputy professor at the Faculty of Forestry), which existed before the war, were not reactivated. In the 1950s and 60. There were multiple changes to the structure of the Faculty, names of units and study programs. New institutes, departments and departments were created, some of them were transferred to other departments of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, and some of them went to the Faculty of Horticulture. On September 1, 1951, the regulation of the Minister of Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of the Polish People’s Republic 61/51) entered into force, introducing many changes in the structure of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, which were unfavorable for the Faculty of Horticulture. The name “cathedral” appeared in addition to the previously used name “factory”. The Department of Plant Protection was transferred to the Faculty of Agriculture (it was created as a result of the transformation of the Department of Phytopathology, after a year it returned to the Faculty of Horticulture) and the Department of Soil Cultivation and Fertilization (also after a year it returned to the Faculty of Horticulture as a Department operating within the Department of Vegetable Crops). The Faculty has irretrievably lost the Departments of Plant Physiology, Soil Science, Food Technology and Mathematical Statistics, which were transferred to other departments of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The Department of Fruit-growing in Skierniewice had to hand over its experimental and didactic base (Pomological Garden, part of the Experimental Field) and large fruit farms in Dąbrowice, Nowa Wieś and Sinołęka, taken over by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 1945-1948 as part of the agricultural reform. In 1950, The Department of Landscape Architecture and Park Studies was transformed into the Department of Landscape Design and Decoration, prof. Alfons Zielonko. In 1952 was established at the Faculty, during the last three semesters of the engineering course, specialization in shaping green areas. In 1954, the Green Area Development Section (SKTZ) (Official Journal of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science 13/54) was established at the Faculty. In 1955, the Department of Green Areas Arrangement and Conservation and the Department of Green Areas Design (Władysław Niemiec (Niemirski)) were established there. In September 1956, the authorities handed over the land and buildings of the Agricultural Staff Training Center in Ursynów (Regulation No. 327 of the Prime Minister of November 17, 1956), and in 1957 the university took over the key of the so-called Wilanów estates (Wilanów, Wolica, Natolin, Moczydło, Powsin, Ursynów and Obory), which were allocated to the experimental and didactic base, among others for the Faculty of Horticulture. Already this year, some departments of the Faculty moved to Ursynów. In 1958, the Department of Soil Cultivation and Fertilization, headed by prof. Franciszek Majewski. In 1962, doc. Jan Boczek took over the head of the Department of Applied Entomology. Shortly thereafter, the Department of Plant Protection was divided into two: the Department of Phytopathology and Applied Entomology. A year later, the Department of Vegetable Crops was moved from Skierniewice to Ursynów, after it was created from the Department of Vegetable Crops in Skierniewice – the Institute of Vegetable Crops. In 1970, the state authorities carried out a large-scale reorganization of the university. The departments were closed and were combined into larger units – institutes. Three such units have been established at the Faculty of Horticulture. The Institute of Horticulture includes the existing Departments of Ornamental Plants, Horticulture, Vegetable Crops, Soil Cultivation and Fertilization, and Medicinal and Special Plants. The director of the Institute was prof. Aleksander Rejman, who was later replaced by prof. Henryk Chmiel. The Departments of Phytopathology and Applied Entomology were merged into the Institute of Plant Protection, headed by prof. Jan Boczek. A few years later, the Institute of Plant Protection was excluded from the Faculty and obtained the rank of an interdepartmental institute. Both departments forming the SKTZ were merged into the Institute of Landscaping and Nature Protection (IKTZiOP). The function of its director was assumed by prof. Alfons Zielonko, and after his retirement – prof. Władysław Niemirski, and then doc. Edward Bartman. In 1973 IKTZiOP was divided into two institutes: Green Areas Management (director prof. A. Zielonko) and Environmental Protection (director Dr. H. Zimny). The Department of Genetics was merged with the corresponding chair of the Faculty of Agriculture and formed the Interdepartmental Institute of Genetics and Plant Breeding (IGiHR). The director of this unit was prof. Stanisław Starzycki, who was soon succeeded by prof. Władysław Byszewski and then prof. Bogusław Kubicki. In 1972, the Faculty Council established research teams in all three Institutes whose names corresponded to the names of the former Departments, and their heads were the current heads of these Departments. Only in IKTZiOP a new team appeared – the Ecology and Environmental Protection Team headed by Assoc. Henryk Zimny. In 1971, the first steps were taken to build a large greenhouse complex and a new building for the Faculty (current building 35). The new greenhouses were put into operation in 1981. In March 1974, the Library of the Faculty of Horticulture was opened. In 1975, at the initiative of prof. A. Rejman in Błonie near In Prażmów, an experimental field was established for research on the cultivation of highbush blueberries in Poland (head Dr. Kazimierz Pliszka). In 1976 the Experimental Field of the Wilanów Faculty was established, led by Dr. Bolesław Czarnecki. In 1976, the Department of Phytopathology (Prof. Z. Borecki) and the Department of Applied Entomology (Prof. J. Boczek) were established at the Institute of Plant Protection, and 3 Departments were established at IGiHR, including the Department of Genetics and Horticultural Plant Breeding (Prof. B. Kubicki ). In the following years, the Department of Horticulture Organization and Economics (Prof. N. Krusze) was transferred from the Faculty of Agriculture and Economics to the Faculty of Horticulture, the Institutes of Green Areas Management and Environmental Protection were merged, and the Institute of Plant Protection was transformed into an interdepartmental unit. Pursuant to the Act on Higher Education of 1982, institutes were dissolved and returned to chairs as the basic organizational units of faculties. The organizational structure of the Faculty of Horticulture, established at that time, has been preserved, with minor changes, to this day. At that time, Chairs were established (the names of their heads are given in parentheses):

• Applied Entomology (Prof. J. Boczek);
• Phytopathology (Prof. Z. Borecki);
• Genetics and Breeding of Horticultural Plants (prof. B. Kubicki);
• Environmental Protection (prof. H. Zimny);
• Organization and Economics of Horticulture (prof. N. Krusze);
• Designing in Landscape Architecture (prof. W. Niemirski, and then prof. E. Bartman);
• Ornamental Plants (Prof. H. Chmiel) with the Department of Dendrology and the Department of Ornamental Plants;
• Fruit Industry (prof. A. Rejman);
• Cultivation and Fertilization of Horticultural Plants (prof. JR Starck);
• Landscape Organization and Nursing (prof. T. Szczęsny, and then prof. L. Majdecki);
• Vegetable and Medicinal Plants (Prof. H. Skąpski) with the Department of Medicinal and Special Plants and the Department of Vegetable Crops.

In the 1980s and 90. there were further changes in the structure of the Faculty. Was established, among others Laboratory of Herbology (doc. S. Gawroński), Independent Department of Dendrology (doc. W. Seneta, later Dr. J. Dolatowski), Independent Laboratory of Anti-cancer Plants (doc. A. Sadowska). In 1981, the Greenhouse Experimental Center was put into operation. In 1985, in place of the SKTZ, the Landscape Architecture Division (OAK) was established, which included 3 units: the Department of Design in Landscape Architecture (Dr. A. Niemirski), the Department of Landscape Planning and Nursing (Prof. L. Majdecki) and the Department of Environmental Protection ( Prof. H. Zimny). In 1990, the Independent Department of Dendrology (M. Siewniak) was separated from the Department of Ornamental Plants. In the following years, the organizational structure of OAK was changed. The Departments of Design in Landscape Architecture and Landscape Management and Nutrition were combined in 1998 into the Department of Landscape Architecture (Dr. P. Wolski), and the Department of Dendrology was incorporated in 1999 into the Department of Environmental Protection. In 1989, two Plants of the Field Vegetable Industry (prof. H. Skąpski) and the Greenhouse Vegetable Industry (doc. W. Gosiewski) were established in the Department of Vegetable Crops. The new building of the Faculty was put into use on November 14, 1992. It houses a dean’s office, several departments and the Department of Horticultural Practices and Popularization. A laboratory and educational building and an automated greenhouse were built in Wolica, constituting the teaching and research base of the Department of Genetics and Horticultural Plant Breeding. In 1995, the Independent Department of Medicinal Plants (Dr. Zenon Węglarz) was separated from the Department of Vegetable and Medicinal Plants and its name was changed to the Department of Vegetable Crops. The Department of Natural Horticulture was established in place of the Department of Soil Cultivation and Fertilization of Horticultural Plants and the Laboratory of Herbology. The Department of Horticultural Practices and Dissemination was transformed into the Practical Training Department. The name of the Department of Genetics and Horticultural Plant Breeding was changed to the Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology (Prof. Katarzyna Niemirowicz-Szczytt). In 2000, the organizational units of OAK were incorporated into the Faculty, which changed its name to the Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture (WOiAK). In 2005, the current structure of units representing landscape architecture was formed, including: the Department of Landscape Architecture, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Landscape Art and the Natural Resource Assessment and Valuation Studio. In 2001 a modern storage facility was built at the Wilanów Experimental Field. In 2003, building No. 37 was put into use, equipped with modern research and teaching facilities, in which the Faculty received approx. 9,000 m ² . Most of the faculty units found new seats there. In 2004 new greenhouses were put into use, constituting the Greenhouse Experimental Center. In 2012, studies in the field of Biotechnology, previously conducted by the Inter-faculty Study of Biotechnology, were included in the Faculty’s program. The name of the Faculty was changed on January 1, 2013 (Resolution of the Academic Senate of SGGW No. 34/2012/2013) to the Faculty of Horticulture, Biotechnology and Landscape Architecture. Since 2015/16, the Faculty has been conducting studies in the field of Plant Health Protection.

Study by prof. dr hab. S. Kryczyński, dr inż. MJ Latkowska

Pursuant to the Act of July 20, 2018. Law on higher education and science, also known as Act 2.0, as well as the Statute of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, from October 1, 2019, a teaching unit, Faculty of Horticulture and Biotechnology, is established, with Dr. hab. Marzena Wińska-Krysiak and the Institute of Horticulture Sciences. The Faculty offers teaching in the following fields: Horticulture, Biotechnology, Plant Health Protection and Landscape Architecture. Employees of the Institutes of Horticulture, Biology, Food Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Forest Sciences, Sociological Sciences and Pedagogy as well as university-wide units: the School of Physical Education and Sport and the Department of Practical Science of Foreign Languages participate in the didactic process.