The History of discovery, characteristics and health-promoting values of the geological resources of the waters of Pomerania and Kujawy
International Conference – Humboldt Kolleg
Toruń- Ciechocinek, March 16-20, 2024
The history of salt brewing in Kujawy dates back to the Middle Ages, when Konrad I of Masovia in 1235 granted the inhabitants of the village of Słońsk the right to brew salt. Then, in the 13th century, the Teutonic Knights exploited the natural brine resources of those areas, from the exploitation of salt mine deposits to salt trade (rafting down the Vistula river). The father of world ecology, Alexander von Humboldt, also noticed special interest in mineralogical resources and the health-promoting importance of the local brine waters during his trip to Kujawy in 1824-1829. His observations were the basis for the initiative and suggestion with which he turned to Stanisław Staszic and Ksawery Drucki Lubecki to build salt works in the area of Słońsk-Wałuszew (today a district of Ciechocinek). The consequence of their decision was to entrust Prof. Jakub Graff from Saxony to design and build a graduation tower, similar to the one in Saxony-Anhalt (Bad Dürrenberg).
Today, Ciechocinek is a recognized and valued health resort, rich in mineral resources of chloride-sodium-bromide-iodide-iron water, also rich in many valuable micro- and macro-elements, including such valuable ones as: magnesium, sodium, selenium and lithium. It is true that its medicinal properties were only noticed in the 1830s. The year 1836 was considered the beginning of the creation of a resort, the Ciechocinek Spa, giving rise to the creation of spa infrastructure with swimming pools and natural medicine treatment. In the years 1875-1876, the first spa park was built, designed and created by Hipolit Cybulski. In 1922, the Act on Health Resorts was passed, under which Ciechocinek was included in the state health resorts.
We would like to devote our conference to the history, discovery and development, as well as the assessment of mineral and health-promoting resources of the Ciechocinek brine (balneology), but not only that, we want to discuss the importance of the geological structure of the Toruń Valley located in the Vistula Pravalley and the location of groundwater in Kujawy and Pomerania, and in particular the development of the health resort Słońsk-Ciechocinek. We will also want to discuss matters related to the development of balneology and the health-promoting activities of health resorts in Poland (e.g. Inowrocław, Wieniec, Gołdap) and neighboring countries (Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and/or Slovakia). In addition to therapeutic topics, we will also discuss matters related to the aesthetic impact of spa infrastructure (biocenosis, biotopes, architecture, etc.).
The conference will be combined with the official opening ceremony on March 16, 2024 in Toruń of a new regional scientific institution The Prof. Jan Czochralski Kuyavian-Pomeranian Science and Technology Center. Prof. Czochralski (1885-1953) was recognized scientist and innovator, who worked in Poland and in Germany.
The scientific part will start in Ciechocinek on Su March 17, afternoon. The conference ends on We March 20th after lunch.
We cordially invite our Humboldtian colleagues to participate in this conference – it will be an opportunity to listen to many interesting lecturers and to participate in discussions, as well as to meet both in our Humboldt circle and with representatives of the Foundation and other organizations working for science, medicine, culture, tourism and self-government. And it will be also an excellent opportunity to spend a few days in a health resort, breathing the salt-saturated air from the largest wooden graduation towers in Europe.
The conference will be held in the form of Humboldt-Kolleg offering invited Humboldtians free participation (including accommodation and meals). However, we cannot promise support for travel costs. This depends on the expected subsidy from the AvH Foundation, and a decision will be made at a later date.
As always, the Kolleg will host a session of young researchers – future candidates for the Humboldt scholarship. Therefore, please indicate potential young participants to be invited (doctoral students, young researchers, etc.). They may represent any field of science and will be required to prepare oral statements (10 min.) or a poster presenting their own research.
See you in Torun and in Ciechocinek!