Janina Oszast

Oszast was born on 2 February 1908 in Kraków, Grand Duchy of Kraków, Austria-Hungary, to a working-class family. Her brother was the dermatologist Zbigniew Oszast. == Education and early career ==

Oszast studied a master's degree at the Faculty of Philosophy and Natural Sciences of Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Oszast was primarily interested in researching Quaternary era deposits. She was the first person in Poland to identify pollen from a range of herbaceous plants and the first to find pollen grains of Ephedra in glaciation period deposits. == World War II resistance ==

During World War II, when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany's General Government, Oszast was a member of the Polish resistance movement. She served as the head of the first department of the general organizational Bureau of Propaganda Information of the Kraków District of the Union of Armed Struggle's Home Army (ZWZ-AK). She also taught clandestine classes. In December 1952, she was arrested again and sentenced to four years in prison, remaining incarcerated at Zakład Karny w Bydgoszcz-Fordonie pl] in Bydgoszcz until her release on parole on 11 December 1954. == Post war career ==

After World War II and her release from imprisonment, Oszast returned to her alma mater, Jagiellonian University, to resume her scientific career. She was a member of the Polish Botanical Society (PTB) pl] and participated in national and international conferences with the organisation. == Death ==

Oszast died on 7 October 1986 in Kraków, Polish People's Republic. She was buried in Rakowicki Cemetery. == Awards ==

• Scientific Award of the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (1958 and 1977) • Gold Badge of the Polish Teachers' Union (ZNP) • Medal of Władysław Szafer pl] in the Jubilee Session (1986) == References ==