Warsaw Agricultural University (SGGW) is the oldest and largest agricultural academic school in Poland. The idea of establishing higher agricultural education in Poland emerged at the end of the 18th century and received the support of King Stanislaw Poniatowski. The idea was realised at the time of the Congressional Kingdom, establishing, on 23 September 1816, the Institute of Agronomy in Marymont. The first director of the Institute was Jerzy Beniamin Flatt, one of the best experts on economic relations in the Congressional Kingdom. The studies at the Institute were conducted on two levels: elementary - for future qualified workers and upper - for future economists and administrators, as well as sons of landowners. Simultaneously with the establishment of Marymont Institute, other higher agricultural schools were formed, which later constituted today’s Warsaw Agricultural University. And so within the frame of the Institute of Agronomy, the Government Institute of Veterinary Medicine was formed, and then in 1840, the Institute of Agronomy was transformed into the Institute of Agriculture and Forestry. During those years, the school's fortune was changing. Russianized by the Czar's government, it was closed for some time and in 1869 it was moved to Pulawy. The result of the numerous transformations was, that in 1918 it became the Polish Royal Main School of Agriculture. In 1919 the School became nationalized and named Warsaw Agricultural University - SGGW.