Karol Olszewski

Chemist, physicist and expert of low temperatures; the first scholar who liquefied nitrogen and oxygen; he also discovered a method of hydrogen liquefaction and constructed machinery for that purpose, which enabled him to reach the then-lowest world temperature, -225 C.

Karol is an alumni of Jagiellonian University, as is Nicolaus Copernicus and Pope John Paul II.

The Copernicus Monument stands outside the Neoclassical Collegium Phisicum at Ul.Golebra. On its facade is a plaque commemorating the first liquefaction of oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen by Karol Olszewski and Walery Wroblewski in 1882.

Karol Olszewski was my great grandfather's uncle.

Karol was born in Broniszow near Tarnow on Jan 29, 1846. In 1886, he entered the University of Krakow, as an assistant to the chemistry professor Czyrnianski. He succeeded in liquefying and solidifying carbon dioxide. He went to Heidelberg in 1872 where he studied uder Bunsen, Kirchoff and Blum. He received his degree "Insigni Cum Laude ". He returned to Krakow and met with Wroblewski, a newly appointed professor in physics. Karol's redesign of existing equipment allowed them to liquefy oxygen. April 9, 1883 a report was sent to the Academy of Science in Paris and is recognized as the date of the liquefaction of oxygen. Shortly after, the headstrong scientists parted company.

Karol's published works with Zygmunt Wroblewski:

• "Sur la liquefaction de l'oxygene et de l'azote, et sur la solidification du sulfure de carbone et de l'alcool", Paris Acad. Sci. Comput. Rend., 96, 1883, pp. 1140-1142, 1225-1226; Carl (Exuer), Repertorium, 19, 1883, pp.494-495, 496; Chemical News, 47, 1883, p. 193 [first part only]; Journ. Prakt. Chem., 28, 1883, pp. 57-59 [first part only]; Wien, Anzeiger, 20, 1883, pp. 74-75 [first part only].
• "Ueber die Verflussigung des Sauerstoffs, Stickstoffs und Kohlenoxyds", Annal. Phys. Chem., 20, 1883, pp. 243-257; Wien Anzeiger, 20, 1883, pp. 91-92 [part only].

Karol's published works:

• "Essais de liquefaction de l'hydrogene", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 98, 1884, 365-366.
• "Nouveaux essais de liquefaction de l'hydrogene. Solidification et pression critique de l'azote", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 98, 1884, 913-915.
• "Temperature et pression critique de l'azote. Temperatures d'ebullition de l'azote et de l'ethylene sous defaibles pressions.", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 99, 1884, 133-136.
• "Temperature et pression critique de l'air. Relation entre la temperature de l'air et la pression de l'evaporation.", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 99, 1884, 184-186.
• "Relation entre les temperatures et les pressions du proxtoxyde de carbone liquide." Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 99, 1884, 706-707.
• "Bestimmung der Dichte und des Ausdehnungscoeffcienten des flussigen Sauerstoffes.", Wien. Anz., 21, 1884, 72-74; Mhefte. Chem., 1884, 124-126.
• "Bestimmung der Erstarrungstemperatur einiger Gase und Flussigkeiten.", Wien. Anz., 21, 1884, 74-75; Mhefte. Chem., 1884, 127-128.
• "Temperature de solidification de l'azote et du protoxyde de carbone; relation entre la temperature et la pression de l'oxygene liquide.", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 100, 1885, 350-352.
• "Liquefaction et solidification du formene et du deutoxyde d'azote", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 100, 1885, 940-943.
• "Sur la production des plus basses temperatures", Paris, Ac. Sci. C. R., 101, 1885, 238-240.
• "Ueber den Gebrauch des siedenden Saurstoffs, Stickstoffs, Kohlenoxyds, sowie der atmospharischen Luft als Kaltemittel. (Zur Wahrung der Prioritat.)", Wien., Anz., 22, 1885, 129-130; Mhefte. Chem., 1885, 493-494.
• "Oznaczenie gestosci skroplonego gazu bagiennego", [Determination of the density of methane], Krakow, Ak. (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 14, 1886, 181-196.
• "Oznaczenie gestosci ciektego tlenu i azotu", [Determination of the density of liquid oxygen and nitrogen], Krakow, Ak. (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 14, 1886, 197-199.
• "Porownanie termometrow gazowych w. niskich temperaturach",[Comparison of gas thermometers at low temperatures],Krakow, Ak. (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 14, 1886, 283-288; Fortschr. Phys., 1886 (Abth. 2), 278.
• "Erstarrung des Fluorwasserstoffs und des Phosphorwasserstoffs, Verflussigung und Erstarrung des Antimonwasserstoffs", [1886] Wien., Ak. Sber., 94, 1887 (Abth. 2), 209-212; Mhefte. Chem., 1886, 371-374.
• "Ueber die Ditchte des flussigen Methans, sowie des verflussigten Sauerstoffs und Stickstoffs", Ann. Phys. Chem., 31, 1887, 58-74.
• "Zestalenie fosforku wodu i fluorku wodu jako tez oznaczenie ich punktow marzniecia",[Solidification of hydrogen phosphide and hydrofluoric acid as also determination of their freezing points], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 15, 1887, 44-47.
• "Skroplenie i zestalenie antymonku wodu",[Liquefaction and solidification of hydrogen antimonide], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 15, 1887, 211-214.
• "Oznaczenie punktu wrzenia czystego ozonu i punktu marzniecia etylenu", [Determination of the boiling point of pure ozone and of the freezing point of ethylene], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 16, 1887, 221-225; Wien, Ak. Sber., 95, 1887 (Abth. 2), 253-256; Mhefte. Chem., 1887, 69-72.
• "Widmo absorbcyjne ciektego tlenu i ciektego powietrza",[Absorption spectrum of liquid oxygen and of liquid air],Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 16, 1887, 226-231; Wien, Ak. Sber., 95, 1887 (Abth. 2), 257-261; Mhefte. Chem., 1887, 73-77.
• "Przyrzad do skraplania gazow i badania ich widma",[Appareil pour liquefier et solidifier les gaz appeles permanents et pour etudier leur spectre d'absorption], Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1889, No. 1, xxviii.
• "O zachowaniu sie etanu i propanu w nizkiej temperaturze i pod cisnieniem",[Sur l'ethane et la propane liquides], [1889], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 20, 1890, 12-17; Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1889, No. 1, xxvii - xxviii.
• "O przelewaniu ciektego tlenu",[Transvasetment de l'oxygen liquide], Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1890, 176-178.
• "Zachowanie sie selenowodoru w niskiej temperaturze i pod cisnnieniem",[Sur les proprietes physiques de l'acide selenhydrique soumisa une basse temperature et a la pression], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 20, 1890, 282-286; Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1890, 57-61.
• "O widmie absorbcyjnem i o barwie ciektego tlenu",[Ueber das Absorptionsspectrum und uber die Farbe des flussigen Sauerstoffes], Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1891, 44-46.
• "O cisnieniu krytycznem wodoru",[Ueber den kritischen Druck des Wasserstoffs],Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 3, 1891, 385-389; Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1891, 192.
• "Zur Berichtigung",[Siehe Meyer: Die niederen Paraffine Aethan und Propan], Berlin Chem. Ges. Ber., 27, 1894, 3305-3306.
• "Oznaczenie temperatury krytycznej i temperatury wrzenia wodoru", [Determination of the critical and the boiling temperature of hydrogen], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 9, 1895, 404-412; Phil. Mag., 40, 1895, 202-210.
• "On the liquefaction of gases", Phil. Mag., 39, 1895, 188-212.
• "The liquefaction and solidification of argon",[1895],Phil. Trans. (A), 186, 1896, 253-257.
• "Proba skroplenia helu (helium)",[Ein Versuch, das Helium zu verflussigen], [1896], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 11, 1897, 262-269; Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1896, 297-307.

Karol's published works with K. Trochanowski:

• "Chemiczny rozbior wod studziennych miasta Krakowa", [Chemical analysis of the well waters of Cracow], Krakow Kom. Fizyogr. Spraw., 23, 1889 (Cz. 2), 56-97.

Karol's published works with August Wiktor Witkowski:

• "O wtasnosciach optycznych ciektego tlenu", [Proprietes optiques de l'oxygene liquide],[1892], Krakow, Ak., (Mat.-Przyrod.) Rozpr., 6, 1893, 127-130; Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1892, 340-343.
• "O rozszczepieniu swiatta w tlenie ciektym",[Sur la dispersion de la lumiere dans l'oxygen liquide], Cracovie Ac. Sci. Bull., 1894, 245-246.

See also:

• Estreicher, T. " Zygmunt Wroblewski and Karol Olszewski", in Great Men and Women of Poland, edited by S.D. Mizwa. New York : Macmillan Company, 1942, pages 267-276.