Establishment of the National Higher Teacher Training College (WSP) and an attempt to merge it with the Jagiellonian University in 1956

After the Second World War, the Jagiellonian University lost its autonomy and the state authorities destroyed its structures by separating the departments and creating new universities out of them. Independently, in 1946, the National Higher Teacher Training College in Krakow was established. In 1954, it received the right to run a master’s course. The quality of education in WSP was assessed negatively by the Jagiellonian University. In turn, the WSP authoritiesclaimed that their school provided better training for future teachers. At the beginning of the 1950s, some reservations were voiced as to the grounds for the existence of higher teacher training schools due to overlaps with the university curriculum. In 1956, the state authorities decided to close some of these colleges. WSP was to be merged with the Jagiellonian University. A meeting was organized at the Jagiellonian University in April 1956, where representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education, the Jagiellonian University and WSP discussed the merger. However, the meeting didn’t yield the expected results due to the firm objection on the part of WSP. The opportunity to strengthen the Jagiellonian University’s position by merging with WSP was ultimately lost.