Although, due to the Partitions of Poland, that country did not exist as an independent state in the 19th century or until the end of World War I, some Polish scholars published work clearly belonging to the field of sociology.
[2] A biographical dictionary of Polish sociology was first published in 2001, and, though only dealing with scholars with surnames between A and H who had died, includes a list of 213 sociologists.
[3] Early Polish sociological thought would reflect that of the three founding fathers: Auguste Comte (positivism), Karl Marx, and Émile Durkheim.
[2] In 1860, economist Józef Supiński would write and publish the first Polish sociological text, titled Myśl ogólna fizjologii powszechnej (General Thought on Universal Physiology).
[2] Sociology in Poland developed significantly during the interbellum period, emerging from its niche into a respectable, mainstream science.
[1] The first chair would be founded by Florian Znaniecki, the most notable Polish sociologist during this period,[2] whose influence would also turn the University of Poznań into a major sociological centre in Poland.
For example, to prevent scholars from openly advocating ideas that might have undermined the communist government, research was restricted into political organization of society.
[4] The notable names of the early postwar period include Stanisław Ossowski his wife, Maria Ossowska, Julian Hochfeld, Józef Chałasiński, and Andrzej Malewski.
By the end of the 1990s, altogether, about 11,000 people majored in sociology on the BA and MA levels in both public and private schools.