Stanisław Tołpa
Encyclopedia
Stanislaw Tołpa - professor
of botany
, has developed peat
preparation called by his name.
Born into a poor peasant family in eastern Poland.
Graduated theologian, then studied mathematics
and natural sciences at Lviv University
where he completed a doctorate
on peatlands in Chornohora
. He worked as a biology
teacher in a high school in Kalisz
until 1939.
In 1939 he took part in the September Campaign, including battle of Bzura.
After the war, in 1945 went to Wrocław.
Initially, he was dean
of the Faculty of Agriculture at Wroclaw University
and Wroclaw University of Technology
and, later, created a separate College of Agriculture, and became its rector
. He habilitated and received the title of professor.
His entire research career was devoted to peat
. Under his leadership, marshes and peat bogs have been studied in the Biebrza
Valley, Hawaii
, and in the Lublin
region. He has developed a classification of European peats. Over time, his interests shifted from the history and morphology of the peat to chemical and biological properties of its components. He detected compounds with specific biological activity.
Based on his research in the 1960 a peat preparation made him famous, used in patients with multiple sclerosis
.
He was of the founders of the Wroclaw branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences
. His research also contributed to the protection of peat deposits in Poland
.
After his retirement in 1971, he continued research within his laboratory of Biology and Biochemistry of Peat at Agricultural University in Wrocław.
Patent for the manufacture of the preparation was ceded to the university. He died at the age of 95.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, has developed peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
preparation called by his name.
Born into a poor peasant family in eastern Poland.
Graduated theologian, then studied mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and natural sciences at Lviv University
Lviv University
The Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
where he completed a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
on peatlands in Chornohora
Chornohora
Chornohora is the highest mountain range in Western Ukraine in the Eastern Beskids and the Ukrainian Carpathians group, which in turn is part of the Outer Eastern Carpathians....
. He worked as a biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
teacher in a high school in Kalisz
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
until 1939.
In 1939 he took part in the September Campaign, including battle of Bzura.
After the war, in 1945 went to Wrocław.
Initially, he was dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Faculty of Agriculture at Wroclaw University
Wroclaw University
The University of Wrocław is one of nine universities in Wrocław, Poland. Former, German university was founded in 1702 as Leopoldina, and re-founded in 1811 as Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau...
and Wroclaw University of Technology
Wroclaw University of Technology
Wrocław University of Technology is an autonomous technical university in Wrocław, Poland. With buildings dispersed throughout the city, its main facilities are gathered at a central location near Plac Grunwaldzki, alongside the Oder River...
and, later, created a separate College of Agriculture, and became its rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He habilitated and received the title of professor.
His entire research career was devoted to peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
. Under his leadership, marshes and peat bogs have been studied in the Biebrza
Biebrza
Biebrza is a river in north-eastern Poland, a tributary of the Narew river , with a length of 155 kilometres and the basin area of 7,057 km2...
Valley, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and in the Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
region. He has developed a classification of European peats. Over time, his interests shifted from the history and morphology of the peat to chemical and biological properties of its components. He detected compounds with specific biological activity.
Based on his research in the 1960 a peat preparation made him famous, used in patients with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
He was of the founders of the Wroclaw branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Warsaw, is one of two Polish institutions having the nature of an academy of sciences.-History:...
. His research also contributed to the protection of peat deposits in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
After his retirement in 1971, he continued research within his laboratory of Biology and Biochemistry of Peat at Agricultural University in Wrocław.
Patent for the manufacture of the preparation was ceded to the university. He died at the age of 95.