Polish Statistical Association

The Polish Statistical Association (PTS) is at present an organisation of representatives of the official statistics authorities, academic societies, territorial self – government, units of government administration, etc., who are interested in theory and practice of statistical surveys. It has over 100–year history and rich tradition.

The Polish Statistical association was created in Kraków in 1912. Its first president was Juliusz Leo, Professor of the Jagiellonian University and simultaneously the President of the Kraków City. The main purpose of the PTS before the 1st World War was to prepare an elaboration showing statistically the Polish territory from the most early to the current time moment. It was published in Kraków in 1915 r. and entitled „Statistics of Poland”.

During the 1st World War the PTS has not acted. In 1917 in Warszawa the Association of Polish Economists and Statisticians (TEiSP) was established. Within this organization the Section of Statistics has been created, directed by Professor Ludwik Krzywicki. Its members were famous Polish statisticians and economists, among others professors: Józef Buzek, Ludwik Landau, Jan Piekałkiewicz, Jerzy Spława – Neyman, Stefan Szulc.

In 1937 the Section of Statistics of the TEiSP was transformed into the independent Polish Statistical Association. It president was Professor Edward Szturm de Sztrem (the contemporary President of the Central Statistical Office), and the deputy president was Professor Jan Czekanowski. The association has that time mainly scientific and research characters. The official journal of the PTS was the quarterly “Statistical Review”. Members of the PTS has published also their own papers in other scientific journals and cooperated with many scientific centers in the country and abroad, among other with the International Statistical Institute. In 1939 the PTS have about 290 established members and about 30 so–called supporting members from various institutions.

After the beginning of the 2nd World War the activities of the PTS were delayed. During this war .many famous members of the PTS were killed or have died. They are, among others, Professors: Stefan Dziewulski, Ludwik Krzywicki, Kazimierz Kumaniecki, Zygmunt Limanowski, Jan Piekałkiewicz, Antoni Sujkowski, etc.

The next period of the activity of the PTS was started in April 1947. As its president was established Professor Stefan Szulc (the contemporary President of the Central Statistical Office), and his deputy was Professor Tadeusz Banachiewicz. The publication of the „Statistical Review”, where scientific articles and organisational activity was presented, has been reactivated. In 1949, the PTS had about 150 members.

After the year 1950 r., the activity of the PTS was disappeared and in 1953 a decision on its liquidation was taken which was entered in force in 1955. A part of the members has become members of the Polish Economical Association, where the Section of Statistics has been created.

The next reactivation of the PTS has taken place in April 1981 r. The Founders’ Meeting has established the Temporary Main Council, which has prepared the new charter of the PTS, registered in September 1981. According to this charter, the Plenary Meeting has elected the Main Council in November 1982, which president was established Professor Mikołaj Latuch and deputy presidents – Professors: Andrzej Barczak and Ryszard Zasępa. In the authority term 1982 – 1985 the organisational, popularisation and editorial activity was intensively developed. The number of members of the PTS was increased up to about 400 persons.

In December 1985, the Plenary Meeting of the PTS has elected the New Main Council, which president was Professor Jan Kordos, and deputy presidents – Professors: Czesław Domański and Ryszard Zasępa. At the beginning of 1986, the base of the Main Council war established in the building of the Central Statistical Office in Warszawa. In 1987 the Statistical Researches and Analyses Bureau affiliated by the Main Council has been established. In 1989 was established the Section of Classification and Data Analysis.

In 1990, as the president of the PTS was again elected Professor Jan Kordos and as the deputy presidents – Professors: Andrzej Balicki and Ryszard Zasępa. In years 1985 – 1994 the region al structures of the association were extended and the number of members increased up to about 800 persons. In 1993, following the initiative of Professor Jan Kordos and under his edition, the international journal of the PTS entitled „Statistics in Transition” has been funded.

In October 1994, the Plenary Meeting of the PTS has elected as the president of the PTS Professor Czesław Domański and as deputy presidents: Dr. Kazimierz Kruszka, M. Sc. Wiesław Łagodziński and Professor Mirosław Szreder. I the next authority term (years 2000 – 2005) the president was again Professor Czesław Domański and the deputy presidents were: Dr. Ewa Bulska, M. Sc. Wiesław Łagodziński and Professor Aleksander Zeliaś. Since 2005 the president of the PTS was Dr. Kazimierz Kruszka, deputy presidents were: Professor Walenty Ostasiewicz, Professor  Mirosław Szreder and M. Sc. Wiesław Władysław Łagodziński. In February 2010,  the Plenary Meeting of the PTS has elected as the president of the PTS Professor Czesław Domański and as deputy presidents:  M. Sc.  Władysław Wiesław Łagodziński, Dr. Krzysztof Najman and Professor Grażyna Trzpiot; the secretary is Dr. Zofia Rusnak and the treasurer is Dr. Ewa Bulska.

Currently the Polish Statistical Association has about 750 members organised in 17 regional branches (Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Katowice, Kielce, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Olsztyn, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Toruń, Warszawa, Wrocław, Zielona Góra). It is affiliated by the International Statistical Institute. The PTS publishes jointly with the Central Statistical Office the monthly journal „Statistical News” („Wiadomości Statystyczne”) and the scientific journal of an international character entitled „Statistics in Transition – New series”.