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OBITUARY
OBITUARY
SheenrolledinWarsawUniversityinthe1930stostudyarthistoryandClassical
archaeology,thelatterwithKazimierzMichalowski,thenayoungprofessorappointed
tothechaircreatedforhimatthisUniversity.Shebecamehisfirstassistant.Her
Ph.D.examinationinJune1939wasthelastattheUniversitybeforetheoutbreakof
WorldWarII.
Thehostilitiesbroughtherincipientacademiccareertoanabruptstop;shewas
activeinsteadintheResistancemovement.Althoughsheneverspokemuchaboutthis
time,itisknownthatshehadriskedherlifenotonlyasaclandestineacademicteacher,
butalsoasasoldier,beingtheWarsawcommandantoftheundergroundHomeArmy´s
women´sservice.Shealsodistinguishedherselfinprotectingwheneverpossiblethe
collectionsoftheNationalMuseuminWarsawagainstplunderanddestruction.
After1945MariaBernhardwasactiveinboththeUniversityandtheNational
MuseuminWarsaw,wheresheactedasCuratorofthereactivatedAncientArtDe-
partment.In1954,shewasappointedtothechairofClassicalArchaeologyatthe
JagiellonianUniversityinKrakówandtaughtthereuntilherretirementin1978.All
theClassicalarchaeologistsactiveinKrakówtodaycountthemselvesamongherpupils.
ProfessorBernhardisknowntoPolishstudentsmainlyforhermonumental"His-
toryofAncientGreekArt"(fourvolumes,publishedbetween1970and1989,laterre-
editedseveraltimes).Theinternationalscholarlycommunityremembersherforthe
sevenvolumesofthe"CorpusVasorumAntiquorum",coveringthecollectionsofthe
NationalMuseuminWarsaw.Greekpaintedpotterywasindeedherfavoritesubject:
Herlastpaperin1996,likeherfirstof1936,concernedtheformerErazmMajewski
Collectionandtheso-calledMajewskiPainter.
Inherlongacademiccareer,shedidnotforgothechancetoparticipateinar-
chaeologicalfieldworkwhichstartedbeingcarriedoutbyPolishexpeditionsthemo-
mentitbecamepossibleinthelate1950s.SheworkedatMirmekionandKalosLimen
intheCrimea,andwasinchargeofthePalmyrateamwhenthe1967warbrokeout.
Leavingthesafetyoftheoasis,shemanagedtoreachtheCenter´squartersinCairo,
wheresheacceptedresponsibilityforasmallgroupofresidentyoungpeoplewithher
characteristicblendofcourageandcommonsense.
Forthelasttwentyyears,sheremainedforthosewhovisitedheratrustedcounse-
lorandstandingreference,bothscholarlyandhumane.
MichałGawlikowski
OilportraitofMariaLudwikaBernhard,paintedin1982byGrażynaKorpal,Jagiellonian
UniversityMuseumcollection(PhotoJ.Kozina)
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PAMX[=Reports1998]
©PCMA2008–digitalreprint
