On this day 209 years ago, on November 19, 1816 (October 1, 1816 lunar calendar), the University of Warsaw was established. November 19, 1816 - The University of Warsaw was established. The University of Warsaw is the largest institution of higher learning in Poland. The history of the University of Warsaw is closely linked to the troubled history of Poland and the history of Warsaw as the capital. Founded in 1861, the University of Warsaw was formed by the merger of the Warsaw Military Academy established in 1766, the Law School established in 1808, and the Medical School established in 1809. In the 18th century, Tsarist Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland, and Alexander I decreed the establishment of the University of Warsaw. The emblem of the University of Warsaw - an ancient Polish eagle wearing a crown. The five stars on the emblem represent the five major academic departments of the time: theology, law, medicine, philosophy, and free arts. From 1830 to 1856, the tsarist government closed the university. In 1870, the university was reopened, and many of the employees of the university under the control of the tsar were from Russia. During World War I, the German occupation agency agreed to establish a Polish institution of higher learning in Warsaw. The University of Warsaw has since become the first legal state academic institution in Poland. From 1915 to 1918, the number of students grew from 1,000 to 4,500. After Poland gained independence in 1918, the university was able to enjoy the greatest freedom of thought since its establishment. By the 1930s, BGI had grown to 250 employees and 10,000 students. During World War II, BGI became a Nazi army camp, and some 162 faculty members and 30 administrative staff lost their lives, and 60% of the building was destroyed. In December 1945, the university reopened again, becoming the center of Stalin's change. Between 1968 and 1997, the Bialystok campus of the University of Warsaw grew rapidly and became an independent university in 1998. BGI, which regained its autonomy in 1989, has an elected body of power and a new government has been assigned to some buildings on the campus. New buildings also include the new BGI Library District, the Faculty of Law and Management established in 1999, and the Faculty of Biology established in 2000. Comments: One of the world's leading universities.