The first organizational convention on which the Polish Botanical Society was brought to life took place in Warsaw on April 9–10, 1922. Since then, our society represents the collaborative efforts of many scientists in all aspects of botanical disciplines, including mycology, lichenology, and phycology. The PBS’s activity was broken twice; during WWII (between 1939–1945) and in the period under martial law (from December 13, 1981 to March 1983). The PBS managed to meet annually in the period between 1923–1939.
The first convention of PBS after the WWII took place in Warsaw on September 29–30, 1946. During the following years, the associated botanists of PBS would meet every 1–2 years, whereas since 1977 the conventions have been taking place every 3 years. The 50th jubilee convention of PBS in 1995 in Cracow was the one with the highest number of 801 attendants.
The record of the Society’s achievements includes:
- the PBS Library collection, containing 47,139 pieces of monographic and serial publications, copies and brochures
- PBS publications, including about 350 (as from 2013) volumes of various journals and monographic printed works
- the organization of scientific events, featuring:
- 56 national conventions of the PBS
- about 900 (as from 2013) conferences, symposiums and scientific workshops arranged by the Society’s Divisions and Sections
- over 7600 scientific meetings organized by the Society’s Divisions and Sections (27% of which were organized by the Cracow Division)
- activities promoting interest in botany which comprise, among others, presentations, workshops and expeditions, training courses, lectures and methodology counseling, flora expositions and workshops concerning popularizing environmental knowledge by means of the Internet.
The subsequent presidents of the Polish Botanical Society were:
- Bolesław Hryniewiecki – 1922–1925
- Zygmunt Wóycicki – 1926–1936
- Seweryn Krzemieniewski – 1936–1939
- Bolesław Hryniewiecki – 1945–1953
- Kazimierz Bassalik – 1953–1955
- Henryk Teleżyński – 1955–1973
- Tadeusz Gorczyński – 1973–1977
- Tomasz Wodzicki – 1977–1983
- Benon Polakowski – 1983–1989
- Jerzy Fabiszewski – 1989–1992
- Stefan Zajączkowski – 1992–1998
- Zbigniew Mirek – 1998–2004
- Jan Rybczyński – 2004–2010
- Elżbieta Romanowska – 2010–2013
- Adam Rostański – since 2013 r.
