Professor Mieczysław Serwiński, Rector of TUL 1968-1975 (speech 1974)
As the first university, Lodz University of Technology succeeded in enacting internal regulations that were completely democratic as they provided for free elections of the university's authorities and its government. It was introduced in 1983 and the elections for my second term were already held in accordance with it.
I managed to move the TUL rector's office from the Faculty of Chemistry to the Richter Palace on the former Worcel Street, now Skorupki Street. During my terms as Rector of Lodz University of Technology, a monument to the first rector of TUL, Professor Bohdan Stefanowski, was also erected.
Lodz University of Technology had very good contacts abroad. Among others with the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where academic registrar Ronald Crawford – later to become TUL's honorary doctor – was very dedicated to working with us. Despite their innate cautious nature, the Scots decided to make the trip to Poland at the beginning of martial law. Mr Crawford and his driver Frank arrived in Łódź in a semi-truck full of various gifts: books, cleaning products, food, teaching aids. They were the first foreigners to arrive in Łódź after 13 December 1981, and it was not easy at the time, even if only because of the weather conditions, as it was a very cold winter. Along the way, they were stopped by numerous army patrols which they bribed with chocolate and cigarettes.
They managed to reach the University happily. The joy was all the greater because the guests themselves took the initiative to help us, even though they were aware of how difficult the situation was in Poland.