DOI article:
Mierzejewska, Bozena Izabela; Urbaniak-Walczak, Katarzyna [Honoree]: Katarzyna Urbaniak-Walczak: 1956-2003
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41370#0012
OBITUARY
Returning to Roland, Katarzyna accepted a position at the National Museum in Roland, first
in the Ancient Art Gallery, then in the Collection of Eastern Christian Art, where she worked as
Keeper of Coptic Art until her tragic death. Concurrently with her duties at the Museum, she taught
Coptic to students at the Department of Egyptology and the Institute of Archaeology of Warsaw
U niversity.
Exceptionally devoted to her work and always perfectly organized, Katarzyna liked to teach and
liked helping students. Her dream was to establish in Warsaw a separate center of Coptic studies that
could serve young scholars interested in the field. Her current professional interests centered on trans-
lations of hitherto unpublished Coptic texts from the Polish excavations at Naqlun in Egypt. She was
also considering writing a professorial thesis devoted to Coptic hermenei texts.
Yet another dream that Katarzyna had - and was not given the opportunity to put into life - was
to reopen a permanent exhibition of Coptic art, textiles especially, at the National Museum in
Warsaw. She had devoted several laborious years to a program which she headed, devoted to the study
and conservation of objects of Coptic art in the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw: She
had just completed the first stage of this broadly envisioned project entitled "Christian Art in Egypt"
and had proudly opened an exhibition presenting the results.
Katarzyna was deeply and passionately involved in everything that she did. An avid scholar, she
also had that valuable tenacity that is so often lacking in young researchers today. Despite a sensi-
tive nature, she never let herself be stopped by any obstacles or misfortunes. She knew where she was
headed and did whatever was required to reach her destination. An unfortunate accident put a stop
to her plans. Katarzyna's premature death has dealt Polish Coptology a heavy blow, and the archae-
ological community has lost in her a kind and learned colleague.
B ozena Mierzejewska
10
Returning to Roland, Katarzyna accepted a position at the National Museum in Roland, first
in the Ancient Art Gallery, then in the Collection of Eastern Christian Art, where she worked as
Keeper of Coptic Art until her tragic death. Concurrently with her duties at the Museum, she taught
Coptic to students at the Department of Egyptology and the Institute of Archaeology of Warsaw
U niversity.
Exceptionally devoted to her work and always perfectly organized, Katarzyna liked to teach and
liked helping students. Her dream was to establish in Warsaw a separate center of Coptic studies that
could serve young scholars interested in the field. Her current professional interests centered on trans-
lations of hitherto unpublished Coptic texts from the Polish excavations at Naqlun in Egypt. She was
also considering writing a professorial thesis devoted to Coptic hermenei texts.
Yet another dream that Katarzyna had - and was not given the opportunity to put into life - was
to reopen a permanent exhibition of Coptic art, textiles especially, at the National Museum in
Warsaw. She had devoted several laborious years to a program which she headed, devoted to the study
and conservation of objects of Coptic art in the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw: She
had just completed the first stage of this broadly envisioned project entitled "Christian Art in Egypt"
and had proudly opened an exhibition presenting the results.
Katarzyna was deeply and passionately involved in everything that she did. An avid scholar, she
also had that valuable tenacity that is so often lacking in young researchers today. Despite a sensi-
tive nature, she never let herself be stopped by any obstacles or misfortunes. She knew where she was
headed and did whatever was required to reach her destination. An unfortunate accident put a stop
to her plans. Katarzyna's premature death has dealt Polish Coptology a heavy blow, and the archae-
ological community has lost in her a kind and learned colleague.
B ozena Mierzejewska
10