Ernest Malinowski

Ernest Malinowski was a Polish civil engineer who is best known for constructing the world's highest railway at the time, the Central Transandino, in the Peruvian Andes between 1871 and 1876. He participated in the Battle of Callao in 1866 and was also a corresponding member of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil Society in Switzerland. He was born in 1818 in the village of Seweryny, near Zviahel to father Jakub, an officer serving in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and mother Anna Świejkowska, daughter of Voivode of Podolia Leonard Świejkowski. Between 1827 and 1831 he attended the Volhynian High School in Kremenets. In 1832, he emigrated to France where he studied at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and later École Polytechnique (1834–1836). Between 1838 and 1839, he worked on the construction of the Paris – Le Havre railway line. In 1839, he was sent to Algeria where he was involved in the construction of roads in the Bône Province. He then moved to Algiers where he participated in the construction of the city's port. In 1840, he returned to France and worked on regulating the Meuse River until 1847. He was also involved in the political activities of Polish exiles in France and collaborated with Hôtel Lambert founded by Prince Adam Czartoryski. In 1852, he signed a six-year contract to work as a government engineer in Lima, Peru. Together with two French engineers (Emil Chevalier and Charles Fraguette), he set off on a journey to Peru, where he arrived on 30 December 1852. After arriving in the capital, he took part in the creation of a new technical organization, Comisión Central de Ingenieros Civiles, and the first Peruvian technical school, Escuela Central de Ingenieros Civiles. He then implemented several minor construction and road projects. In 1856, he took part in the work of the commission evaluating the project of extension and modernization of Casa de Moneda in Lima, i.e. the state mint. In addition, he published a short study on monetary topics and developed the so-called gold etalon, i.e. the metal content in the coin. He designed (1858) and supervised the paving of streets and squares in Arequipa as part of the comprehensive reconstruction of the city after the war. He supervised the modernization works of the Izacuchaca stone bridge. In 1866, he joined the Peruvian army as a volunteer and fought in the Battle of Callao against the Spanish fleet. He was wounded and decorated with the Order of the Sun. In 1870, he presented his project of the Central Transandino Railway, which was approved by the government. He started the construction in 1871 and completed it in 1876, overcoming many technical and natural challenges. The railway reached the altitude of 4,781 meters above sea level, making it the highest in the world at the time. Malinowski was hailed as a hero and a genius by the Peruvians, who called him "the Polish son of Peru". He also worked on other railway projects in Peru and Ecuador. He died in 1899 in Lima and was buried in the Presbítero Maestro Cemetery. He left behind a legacy of engineering excellence and patriotic devotion.