Professor Jan Konrad Eligard Krauze (1882–1969)

Rector for the 1924–1926 term of office
Theory of machines

He was born in Rakowicze (now in Lithuania). He boasted the title of baron. He studied at the physics-mathematics faculty of the Saint Vladimir Royal University of Kiev and at the mechanical faculty of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute of Emperor Alexander II and the Lviv Polytechnic National University, where, in 1907, he obtained a degree and became a senior lecturer; until 1916, he lectured on agricultural machine construction. Simultaneously, he served as an assistant in the Department of Theory of Machines; and since 1912, he fulfilled duties of a constructor in the Department of Machine Elements. He also lectured “machine encyclopaedia” at the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Chemistry. At that time, he published a few theses on agricultural machines in French.

In 1920, he was nominated to be a professor of General Theory of Machines at the Mining Academy in Krakow. In the years 192–1924 and 1926–1927, he was elected vice-rector; and in the years 1924–1926 rector of the academy. In the years 1927–1930, he served as dean of the Faculty of Mining. He restructured the programmes and, for the first time in Poland, introduced rigours. These meant that a student who violated the rules and regulations of the academy had to petition for approval to continue their studies.

Professor Krauze saw the necessity to educate mechanics in Poland; but not until 1946 did he manage to take part in educating electrical engineers for the needs of Polish mining and metallurgy industry. In the years 1946–1915, he served as dean of the newly established Faculty of Electrical Engineering. He was a prominent organiser and friend of young people. He was an Honorary Member of the AG-SSAG Student Association.

When the Krakow professors were transported to Sachsenhausen, he was sent to the concentration camp in Wiśnicz Nowy for his intercession. He published lithographic lectures Elementy maszyn [Machine elements] and Technologia mechaniczna metali i drzewa [Mechanical technology of metals and wood]. He also published numerous articles on the structure of academic education and the organisation of the country. He died in 1969 in Krakow.