Marie Curie and Her Contemporaries

Marie Curie was Polish born, her maiden name was Sklodowska. Her father was a high school teacher, an able physicist; her mother was a teacher as well. They were keen patriots and most unhappy about the sad fate of their fatherland. Poland was under the heel of tsarist Russia. Supervisors were sent from Moscow to verify if the school children were brought up as Russian patriots and were taught extreme loyalty towards the Tsar, his family and the Russian Government. Father Sklodowska got into difficulties with the supervisors, difficulties which further contributed to Marie Sklodowska's hatred towards the tsarist regime. The hatred was so deeply rooted that Maria and her schoolmates cheered the news of the murder of the Tsar Nicolaus the Second. She was a hard worker with a sharp brain. the best scholar of her class. Finishing high school not yet 18 yr old she became a governess in the house of a well-to-do family, trying to make some money that would enable her to study outside Poland. Both Germany and Austria were enemy countries occupying Polish territory. She chose France. a free country, where science and art had a high standing. Maria Sklodowska left for Paris and intended to return to Warsaw after finishing her studies. The goal at which she aimed ardently was to work for her country. She first hesitated on what to study, the choice being between sociology, literature and science. She finally decided on the last mentioned discipline. While governess for three years she earned little money. In those days the German railways had four classes. The fourth class was much like a freight car in which just a bench was placed. Maria Sklodowska could only afford a fourth-class ticket when traveling through Germany. She arrived in Paris in the fall of 1891 with a minimum of luggage.