Born in
Nowy Targ, Nomarski was educated in
Warsaw at the
Warsaw University of Technology (known at that time as the
Warsaw Polytechnic) and served in the
Polish Resistance during World War II. Captured by
German forces, he was a prisoner of war until March 1945. After the war when the
Soviets supported communists installed their regime over
Poland, Nomarski had to escape to Belgium as a political refugee. He studied there briefly before he moved to France for his permanent residence in 1947. He finished his education in France and received his diploma from l'Ecole Supérieure d'Optique Paris (Grande Ecole). In 1950, Nomarski established the ''Laboratoire de Microscopie Optique de L'Institut d'Optique'' and became a professor of microscopy and head of the department at his alma mater. He simultaneously conducted research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), where the physicist rose to the Directorship of Research by 1965. ==Honors==