The history of the Polish Ophthalmological Society (PTO) traces its origins to the early 20th century, when three pioneering ophthalmologists sought to establish a platform for the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the field of ophthalmology. In 1908, under the auspices of the Warsaw Ophthalmological Society, Dr. Kazimierz Bein, Dr. Bronisław Ziemiński, and Dr. Aleksander Dobrzański—three eminent specialists from the Ophthalmic Institute—initiated activities that would later culminate in the foundation of the Polish Ophthalmological Society.
Ophthalmic Institute
1911: Pivotal moment
The first attempt to create a nationwide organization was made in 1911 during the 11th Congress of Polish Physicians and Naturalists. The Polish Ophthalmologists’ Society emerged as part of the ophthalmology section of the congress. Bolesław Wicherkiewicz, a distinguished ophthalmologist, was appointed chairman of this endeavor. Although the ruling authorities at the time, due to partitionist restrictions, denied permission for the Society’s formal establishment, ophthalmologists continued to elect governing boards at subsequent congresses. After World War I, the initiative gradually took shape, gaining official recognition.
Bolesław Wicherkiewicz
(1847-1915)
Kazimierz Bien
(1872-1959)
Aleksander Dobrzański
(1832-1918)
1924: Launch of the Society’s Journal
At the 11th Congress of Polish Ophthalmologists in Lviv in 1924, it was decided that the official journal of the Society would be „Klinika Oczna” (Ophthalmic Clinic). This prestigious publication originated in 1899, founded by Bolesław Wicherkiewicz under the title „Postęp Okulistyczny” (Advances in Ophthalmology). Reestablished in 1923 under its new name, „Klinika Oczna” became a crucial medium for communication and dissemination of knowledge among ophthalmologists.
Professor Wicherkiewicz with clinic assistants during surgery
1925: Establishment of the First PTO Branch
The Warsaw Ophthalmological Society, active since 1908, officially joined the Polish Ophthalmological Society in 1925 as its first branch. Subsequently, the Western Territories Ophthalmologists’ Society, founded in 1921 in Poznań and covering the regions of Greater Poland, Silesia, and Pomerania, also became affiliated.
1937: Expansion of Regional Branches
A significant milestone in the Society’s development occurred during the 17th Congress in Lviv in 1937, when new branches were established in Kraków, Lviv, and Vilnius. This expansion solidified the Polish Ophthalmological Society’s status as a nationwide organization committed to advancing ophthalmology and enhancing standards of care within the discipline.
Today, PTO comprises 13 regional branches across Poland and continues to publish its flagship journal, „Klinika Oczna”.