It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Andrzej Trautman on February 27, 2026 – an outstanding Polish theoretical and mathematical physicist, Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, and one of the founders of modern gravitational theory.
Prof. Trautman was among the most distinguished Polish scholars working in general relativity. Throughout his scientific career, he combined physics with the deepest structures of mathematics. In the 1960s, he demonstrated that gravitational waves are not merely formal solutions of Einstein’s equations but genuine physical phenomena capable of carrying energy and information. His work, including the renowned Robinson–Trautman solutions, became one of the key theoretical foundations for the later experimental detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO and VIRGO collaborations.
He was a respected lecturer and mentor to generations of physicists, a co-creator of the Polish school of relativity at the University of Warsaw, and an important pillar of Polish scientific life.
Information regarding the funeral arrangements will be published on the website of the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.
