[1] Born in the small village of Telkwice, then in East Prussia (then a part of Weimar Republic) he was a son of Franciszek Chełkowski, a wealthy landowner and prominent activist of the Polish community in Prussia and his wife Emilia (maiden name Mieczkowska).

He earned his MSc degree (magister) in physics in 1952 and his PhD (doktorat) in 1958.

Although he was a Poznanian, he relocated permanently to Katowice in 1967, together with a number of other scientists from Poznan.

He served as the Rector of the University of Silesia in Katowice from 1 September 1981 until 12 January 1982, when he was dismissed by the then minister of higher education for political reasons.

After the fall of communism, he was elected to the Senate from the Solidarity list and served until his death.