Romer’s collection
Inside the library, in the room dedicated to the Romer family books, mementos and family albums are displayed as well as the paintings of Zofia Dembowska – Romer.
Zofia Romer
Zofia Romer (born 16th February 1885 in Dorpat, died 23 August 1972 in Montreal) –was a painter of Polish origin. Married to Eugeniusz Romer (1871 – 1943) she was an owner of a health resort in Cytowiany, Lithuania. Her paintings can be found in Lithuanian museums and in the National Museum in Warsaw. Her works created in Canada belong to many private collectors. In 1993 an art gallery displaying her paintings was presented in Warsaw.
Andrzej Romer
Andrzej Romer, the youngest son of Eugeniusz Romer and Zofia Dembowska was born in 1921 in Cytowiany. Associated with the underground resistance movement he worked in the intelligence unit. In 1946 – 48 he was a personal secretary of Józef Rettinger in London. In 1948 Andrzej Romer immigrated to the USA. In Ann Arbor he obtained a Master title and during the next fourteen years worked together with Tadeusz Sendzimir – a great constructor and inventor. Later on his career directed him to work in Japan and France. In 1968 however he came back to the University and passed all the doctorate exams at the International Relations and Economy Faculty. He soon became a representative of the Textron concern and moved to Belgium. He negotiated big contracts in Portugal, Germany, Hungary and Poland. Andrzej Romer has lived in Brussels for many years now. He published numerous articles in the French ‘Culture’ and ‘Historical Journals’ concerning the Polish – Lithuanian relations. He is also one of the authors of a discourse on the Polish – Japanese relations and the last of the Romers, who speaks Lithuanian fluently. His donations to the Museum were the Patek watches and a collection of snuffboxes, the Library was gifted with numerous books and family documents.