About

 

Jędrzej Śniadecki rightly deserves to be considered a Universal Genius. He was a person with a great and broad, almost universal knowledge in many fields.  Śniadecki was a man with his roots in the enlightenment, who grew, matured and blossomed in the early romantic era, he was a phenomenon of Vilnius University and a star of Vilnius society in the period of 1797–1838. He excelled in chemistry, biology, medicine, pharmacy, hygiene, pedagogy, philosophy and writing. Śniadecki was a pioneer in the field of biochemistry and vaccination. He found, established and chaired the Vilnius Medical Society, Towarzystwo Szubrawców (Scoundrels Society). He contributed articles to a unique and extraordinary satirical weekly, Wiadomości Brukowe (The Pavement News). Śniadecki co-founded, edited and also wrote in Dziennik Wileński (The Vilnius Daily), the largest and most prestigious magazine daily in Vilnius in the beginning of the 19th century.

The best way to celebrate the legacy of this great man, we believe, is to awaken and unite the academic community of Vilnius University and other scientific institutions in Lithuania and abroad, all educational and medical institutions, science historians and every individual, regardless young or old, who are interested in Jędrzej Śniadecki
and his tremendous and groundbreaking contributions to science, progress and society.

This website aims at initiating, announcing, publishing, coordinating and interfacing of all initiatives, events and publications locally and internationally with respect to the memory of Śniadecki in Lithuania and internationally. Great people do not belong neither to a city nor a state. They belong to the mankind and posterity!

In historical descriptions of Vilnius University and Vilnius city Jędrzej Śniadecki (Andrzej, Andrew) Śniadecki, 1768–1838) is known as a famous chemist and a well respected teacher of Vilnius University, a famous physician, the founder of the Vilnius Medical Society, a chairman of the Towarzystwo Szubrawców (Scoundrels Society), a humanist and, finally, an entertaining man. The very personality of J. Śniadecki is worth much more than a single intriguing plot about academic life in Vilnius, his relationship with the changing political and local government. Jędrzej Śniadecki wrote all his works while living in Vilnius or in the Manor of Boltup (in Belarus). From all publications, the Origins of Chemistry, the fundamental philosophical work Theory of Organic Beings and the pedagogical work about physical education of children have attracted the attention not only of contemporaries, but also of researchers of the later ages and of the general public. Unfortunately, nowadays it is little known about his work and merits in chemistry, medicine and public health.

The life and work of Jędrzej Śniadecki is strongly connected to the capital of Lithuania – Vilnius. After studies in Italy and Scotland he took a Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Vilnius University and settled in Vilnius from 1797 for almost 40 years of his most active life. Sniadecki was among personalities, who forthcame his epoch, gave all his energy to educate a young generation, made brave conclusions and opened new horizons for chemistry and biochemistry.

This site intents to cumulate and disseminate information about Lithuanian and international initiatives to commemorate Śniadecki’s scientific heritage.

 

We are awaiting your ideas and suggestions at: info@andrewsniadecki.org