On 7th May, a symbolic commemoration of Ms Małgorzata Dynak – an employee at our University – took place on the University of Warsaw’s Main Campus. As a token of remembrance and respect, the university community planted a ginkgo tree.

“Exactly one year ago, our colleague, Ms Małgorzata Dynak, fell victim to a terrible tragedy that took place on the Main Campus of the University of Warsaw. This tragedy left a deep mark on us all, which remains a subject of contemplation and reflection to this day. There are no words that can adequately describe the pain and sense of injustice associated with the events of a year ago. As a token of remembrance and respect for our colleague, the university community has planted a ginkgo tree. The tree symbolises memory, endurance and community,” said Prof. Zygmunt Lalak, the UW Vice-Rector for Research, on behalf of the Rector, Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, who was away on a business trip abroad.

During the ceremony on 7th May, students, doctoral candidates, employees and friends of the University of Warsaw gathered in the square between the Chopin Building and the Faculty of Archaeology. The event was hosted by Dr Anna Modzelewska, the UW spokesperson.

“There are over 8,000 employees and more than 40,000 students at the University of Warsaw. Each of us comes to work and to study with the expectation that, after a good day, we will return home, and that when our loved ones call, we will answer the phone. A year ago, this daily sense of trust was deeply shaken. What are we to do with such a memory, when what happened to Ms Małgorzata defies our understanding? It is difficult to separate the memory of the event from the memory of the person. Yet it is possible and helpful. We must face this difficulty head-on so as not to lose sight of what matters most – that we remember a wonderful colleague, a good and dedicated employee,” said Prof. Julia Kubisa, Dean of the UW’s Faculty of Sociology and coordinator of the commemoration, adding, “The University of Warsaw is a single organism that renews itself and endures. Today we are adding a new symbol to this enduring legacy – the ginkgo tree. Looking at this tree, we think of Małgosia and of the network of relationships that entwine us, and the kind people around us.”