Jowita Koncewicz
One of the first Polish programmers, co-creator of the first Polish programming language SAKO and Polish translators of the ALGOL language.
It was interesting, no one in Poland had done anything similar. – Jowita Koncewicz about the beginnings of work on the software of the first Polish computers in 1956 [quote from the book about Women Pioneers of Polish IT by Karolina Wasielewska]
When asked about the beginnings of her work, Jowita Koncewicz, considered the first IT specialist in Poland, exclaims – There were more of us!
After the war, when computer science was not yet a field of science, algorithms were a branch of mathematics, and many women studied mathematics, some of them with the intention of becoming teachers and accountants. At the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, the first specializations appeared, often chosen by women, where they were taught programming mathematical machines.
During the Polish People’s Republic, women constructed and programmed the first computers on an equal footing with men, taking part in every stage of computerization development. Many of them held managerial positions, were valued experts, awarded for their projects and inventions.
We owe our knowledge about women who constructed the first computers in Poland, wrote the first programs and created utility applications to Karolina Wasielewska, who described their stories in the book “Cyfdziewczyny. Pioneers of Polish Computer Science. We will find there the story and fragments of the author’s conversations with Jowita Koncewicz – probably the first Polish programmer.
Jowita Koncewicz was born in 1935. Her father, a pre-war officer, worked at the Ministry of Military Affairs. He died of tuberculosis when he was still little. Her mother raised her alone. She passed on values such as hard work and independence in adult life.
In 1956, she started working in the Mathematical Apparatus Group. A specialized team was established at the National Institute of Mathematics in the 1950s and its task was to build a calculating machine modeled on the American ENIAC computer. She was aware that computers were being created at GAM and she would be responsible for their software.
Together with her team, she created the Polish version of the SAKO programming language – Automatic Coding System. It was intended for the first domestic computers – XYZ, ZAM- 2, ZAM- 21 and ZAM-41. Its basis was the American FORTRAN language. SAKO worked very well with the XYZ and its successor, the ZAM-2. Using it, the programmer would formulate a command for the machine, which then SAS, i.e. Symbolic Address System, would translate the command into the machine’s language.
During this period, Western technological achievements and materials about them were subject to an embargo. However, one of the team members had access to foreign sources. They provided significant assistance in conducting and progressing the work.
Then she joined the team transforming the American ALGOL language to the needs of ZAM-2. It was much more modern because it was based on shortened commands. All that needed to be done was to create an address system similar to SAS. Jowita was responsible for this task, she liked it very much.
Work at GAM had no time limit. The team members had great enthusiasm for work and often spent long hours at the machine. Even at night. They debated a lot about ideas, which they later tested through trial and error.
In 1978 she left the Institute of Mathematical Machines. She joined the Institute of Electron Technology. In the meantime, she started translating technical books for Scientific and Technical Publishing Houses. Over time, she focused only on translating specialist literature in the field of programming.
Get to know other first Polish programmers and their stories. We recommend reading Karolina Wasilewska’s book “Cyfrodziewczyny. Pioneers of Polish IT”; Krytyka Polityczna Publishing House, 2020.
