 |
|
|
Rudolf Modrzejewski
Tw贸rca most贸w
w Ameryce
Z okazji Dnia Kazimierza Pu艂askiego 2006 otwieramy wystaw臋 po艣wi臋con膮 wybitnemu Polakowi Rudolfowi Modrzejewskiemu, kt贸ry swoj膮 prac膮 budowa艂 wielko艣膰 Ameryki prze艂omu XIX i XX w. Z ogromnej liczby polskich emigrant贸w tylko nielicznym uda艂o si臋 wpisa膰 do historii Stan贸w Zjednoczonych.
Do tych najwi臋kszych nale偶eli m.in. Kazimierz Pu艂aski, Tadeusz Ko艣ciuszko, Ignacy J. Paderewski, Helena Modrzejewska.
Rudolf Modrzejewski do Stan贸w Zjednoczonych trafi艂 wraz z matk膮 w 1876 roku jako pi臋tnastoletni ch艂opak.
Helena szybko odnosi艂a sukcesy na scenach ameryka艅skich, a syn towarzyszy艂 jej w podr贸偶ach. Zwiedzi艂 w贸wczas Wystaw臋 Techniczn膮 w Filadelfii, zorganizowan膮 w 100-lecie Dnia Niepodleg艂o艣ci. Matka pragn臋艂a, aby Rudolf by艂 pianist膮, a syn postanowi艂 zosta膰 in偶ynierem. W wieku siedemnastu lat wyjecha艂 na nauk臋 do Pary偶a. Tam uko艅czy艂 z wyr贸偶nieniem najlepsz膮 uczelni臋 techniczn膮 艣wiata – Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chauss茅es (Szko艂臋 Dr贸g i Most贸w). Warto doda膰, 偶e parysk膮 szko艂臋, ko艅czy艂o wielu s艂awnych Polak贸w m.in. Tadeusz Ko艣ciuszko i Ernest Malinowski.
W 1883 roku, jeszcze podczas studi贸w Modrzejewski otrzyma艂 obywatelstwo ameryka艅skie i od tej pory oficjalnie u偶ywa艂 nazwiska Ralph Modjeski. W 1885 roku m艂ody Ralph wr贸ci艂 do USA i rozpocz膮艂 karier臋 in偶yniera. Najpierw u boku znanego konstruktora Georga Morisona, zwanego 鈥瀘jcem ameryka艅skiego budownictwa most贸w”, a od 1893 roku we w艂asnym biurze w Chicago. Firma, kt贸r膮 za艂o偶y艂 鈥濵odjeski & Masters” istnieje do dzi艣. Jak pisa艂 prof. J贸zef G艂omb - Modjeski mia艂 ju偶 za sob膮 kilka wa偶nych sukces贸w: solidne wykszta艂cenie, znajomo艣膰 j臋zyk贸w, podr贸偶e po 艣wiecie, pomoc s艂awnej matki i do tego dobry trening na pocz膮tku kariery zawodowej.
Z takim zapleczem znalaz艂 si臋 w Ameryce, w kt贸rej pod koniec XIX w. wszystko sprzyja艂o budownictwu mostowemu. Pr臋偶nie rozwija艂a si臋 infrastruktura i komunikacja. Modjeski z ogromnym sukcesem wykorzysta艂 swoj膮 szans臋.
Wybudowa艂 niemal 40 most贸w na najwi臋kszych rzekach Ameryki: Missisipi, Missouri, Delaware, Ohio, 艢wi臋tego Wawrzy艅ca (Qubec), na Wielkich Jeziorach (Detroit), przez zatok臋 San Francisco (Trans Bay Bridge). Modjeski by艂 wybitnym in偶ynierem. Jego rozwi膮zania sprawdza艂y si臋 w praktyce i cieszy艂y wielkim uznaniem specjalist贸w. Kolejne mosty wzbudza艂y zachwyt nie tylko z powodu nowatorstwa i profesjonalnego wykonania, ale tak偶e estetyki konstrukcji. Modjeski by艂 w tym wszystkim wytrwa艂y i odwa偶ny. Spotka艂y go liczne zaszczyty i nagrody. W 1911 roku otrzyma艂 tytu艂 doktora in偶ynierii przyznany przez Uniwersytet Stanu Illinois, w 1922 roku Medal Franklina, a w 1929 roku nagrod臋 John Fritz Gold Medal - najwy偶sze odznaczenie ameryka艅skie przyznawane in偶ynierom. O jego osi膮gni臋ciach pisa艂o wielu znamienitych autor贸w. Nale偶y wymieni膰 Boles艂awa Or艂owskiego, Stefana Bratkowskiego, Viktora Kwasta, a tak偶e J贸zefa G艂omba. Ten ostatni napisa艂 o nim ksi膮偶k臋 pt. 鈥濩z艂owiek z pogranicza epok”, kt贸r膮 wydano pi臋膰 razy i przet艂umaczono na j臋zyk angielski.
Rudolf Modrzejewski by艂 cz艂owiekiem niezwyk艂ym. Du偶o r贸wnie偶 publikowa艂, by艂 cz艂onkiem wielu stowarzysze艅, a tak偶e nauczycielem nast臋pnych pokole艅 konstruktor贸w most贸w. Do ko艅ca swoich dni by艂 Polakiem, pos艂ugiwa艂 si臋 j臋zykiem polskim, listy przesy艂ane do kraju podpisywa艂 polskim nazwiskiem. W wareckim muzeum, kt贸re od wielu lat prezentuje wybitnych Polak贸w dzia艂aj膮cych poza krajem, nie mog艂o zabrakn膮膰 wystawy po艣wi臋conej Rudolfowi Modrzejewskiemu. Przygotowana ekspozycja przybli偶a dom rodzinny in偶yniera i drog臋 do wielkiego sukcesu. Na wystawie mo偶na zobaczy膰 mosty Modjeskiego na dawnych i wsp贸艂czesnych fotosach, zdj臋cia rodzinne, ale tak偶e seri臋 ameryka艅skich poczt贸wek z mostami Polaka.
Pragn臋 wyrazi膰 ogromn膮 wdzi臋czno艣膰 Peterowi Obstowi z Filadelfii – przyjacielowi naszego muzeum za wszelk膮 pomoc w zorganizowaniu wystawy. Dzi臋kuj臋 tak偶e prof. J贸zefowi G艂ombowi za poparcie naszej inicjatywy i 偶yczliwo艣膰.
Iwona Stefaniak
|
|
|
|
|
Rudolf Modrzejewski
The Constructor of Bridges
in America
On the occasion of Casimir Pulaski Day 2006, we have the honor to open an exhibition dedicated to an outstanding Pole - Rudolf Modrzejewski, whose work helped build the greatness of America of the XIX and XX century. From the vast number of Polish immigrants only few managed to write themselves into American History. Among the most prominent are Casimir Pulaski, Tadeusz Ko艣ciuszko, Ignacy J. Paderewski, and Helena Modrzejewska.
Rudolf Modrzejewski emigrated to the USA with his mother, Helena Modrzejewska, in 1876 as a fifteen-year-old boy.
Helena quickly achieved success on the American stage and her son accompanied her in her journeys. At that ime he visited the Technological Exhibition in Philadelphia, organized to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of American Independence. Rudolf’s mother wanted him to be a pianist, but he decided to become an engineer. At the age of seventeen he went to Paris to study at the best civil engineering school in the world – the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chauss茅es (The Academy of Roads and Bridges), from which he graduated at the top of his class. It is worth adding that this school had also been attended by many famous Poles, including: Tadeusz Ko艣ciuszko and Ernest Malinowski.
In 1883, while still in school, Modrzejewski received his American citizenship and since that time he officially used the name of Ralph Modjeski. In 1885 young Ralph returned to the USA and started his career as an engineer. At first he worked at the side of the well known engineer George Morison, called 鈥瀟he father of American Bridge Building,” and then, from 1893, in his own office in Chicago. The company 鈥濵odjeski & Masters”, started by him, still exists today.
As professor J贸zef G艂omb wrote - Modjeski already had many important accomplishments: a solid education, command of languages, travel experience, assistance from his famous mother and, most importantly, very good training at the beginning of his career. With such a background, he found himself in merica, where at the end of XIX century everything was conducive to bridge building. The infrastructure and communications were developing. Modjeski took his chance and achieved great success.
He built almost 40 bridges across the largest American rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Delaware, Ohio, St. Lawrence River (Quebec), over the Detroit River to Canada, and across San Francisco Bay
(Trans Bay Bridge). Modjeski was an outstanding engineer. His solutions proved correct in practice and received general recognition among specialists. His later bridges were highly acclaimed not only because of their innovative design and professional execution, but also because of the aesthetics of their design.
Modjeski was very persistent and courageous in his projects. He received awards on numerous occasions. In 1911 he was given an Honorary Degree of 鈥濪octor of Engineering” at the University of Illinois, in 1922 the Franklin Medal, and in 1929 the John Fritz Gold Medal - the highest American engineering distinction. Many eminent authors wrote about his achievement, e.g. Boleslaw Or艂owski, Stefan Bratkowski, Viktor Kwast, and also J贸zef G艂omb. The book written by J贸zef G艂omb 鈥濧 Man Who Spanned Two Eras” was published five times, including an English version.
Rudolf Modrzejewski was an unusual man. He published much, was a member
of numerous societies, and also a teacher for the next generation of bridge engineers.
He remained Polish until the end of his life, spoke the Polish language; letters he sent to his native country were always signed with his Polish name.
The museum in Warka has been organizing exhibitions presenting the most outstanding Poles who worked and were successful abroad. An exhibition about Rudolf Modrzejewski could not be left out. This exhibition brings the viewer closer to the engineer’s family home and his path to success. It presents a collection of old and modern photographs of Modjeski’s bridges, his family photographs and a series of American postcards featuring his bridges.
I would like to express my gratitude to Peter Obst from Philadelphia – a friend of our museum for all the help with organising this exhibition. I would also like to thank professor J贸zef G艂omb for his kindness and for his support of our initiative .
Iwona Stefaniak
|
|
