The 90’s

“Fortunately for everyone living in this country, the will to live has not disappeared in the emerging ‘landscape of ruins’, and something called a ‘reform program’ has been initiated, which, in reality, is not so much a reform program but rather a set of necessary actions aimed at sustaining the life of society. […] In the new political and economic reality in Poland, a reality that is psychologically and materially difficult, an active scientific center is emerging. This is happening thanks to the efforts of many people in the administration, in science, of researchers from the Academy and the University; in the end, through the effort of the Polish taxpayer, whose money is being transformed into organized work. This is happening with the active assistance of our French colleagues and of the scientific administration of France. And this is not the only new research unit being created in Poland at this moment. I have simply described the one whose transformation I observe closely, and therefore I can attempt to point out its essential elements.”

— Włodzimierz Zagórski-Ostoja, From the Work of Scientific Institutions and Centers. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw Yesterday and Today, Nauka Polska no. 5, 1993.

In the history of IBB the most important event of the 1990s was the move to IBB’s first-ever building of its own. The move was carried out stepwise.

On June 30, 1992, Building A was officially opened; the Departments of:  Genetics, Microbial Biochemistry and Plant Biochemistry were moved to the new building; the library and isotope laboratory were also moved. On November 30, 1994, the official opening of IBB’s premises took place; professor Wacław Gajewski said at the time, “A dream-like Institute has been created.” In December 1995, Building F and the greenhouse were opened; the Institute of Experimental Plant Biology of the University of Warsaw was also located here. In the summer of 1996, building D was handed over for use, housing the University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical Modeling (ICM UW) and the Polish-French Center for Plant Biotechnology, established in 1993.

The total floor area of the building was 16,737 sqm – almost 7 times the area of the former leased premises at 36 Rakowiecka Street.

Also in the 1990s the first Science Festival in Poland took place, in September 1997. It was organized by the scientific community of Warsaw on the initiative of professors David Shugar, Marek Niezgódka and Bogdan Lesyng. Maciej Geller (ICM UW) became director of the Festival and Magdalena Fikus (IBB PAS) became deputy director. This year, 2024, the 28th edition of the Festival is taking place.

The 90’s – film