Maria Curie-Skłodowska jako wzorzec kobiety i naukowca w polskiej edukacji historycznej czasów Polski Ludowej

Abstract

In the popular culture it has been a standard to associate those two threads of Skłodowska-Curie’s life, which probably gives us a certain cognitive and interpretative profile of her biography. Propaganda of the Polish People’s Republic era (1952–1990) usually depicted scientists as revolutionaries. In historical education, however, this feature has not been so much highlighted. One can hardly find anything more on Skłodowska-Curie than that she was a Polish scientist, representing so-called scientific and materialistic worldview. In Polish People’s Republic it was creating of „means of production” and peacekeeping, that made a scientist effective. Even the fact that she had been awarded the Noble Prize was usually omitted. There was just one day a year – on 8 March (International Women’s Day) – when Polish communists have been talking, writing, and remembering women. However, Polish historical education chose not to include Skłodowska-Curie in this context, preferring to use her biography to shape a model of the extraordinary woman. There is not much on Skłodowska- Curie as an exceptionally educated woman, as well. Generally, students could view some images showing her in action, and not much more. All in all, her image, as presented by Polish textbooks in People’s Republic era, was a result of a few specific facts from her life, and the general interpretation of the whole textbook.