The Katyn Massacre – A Set of Source-Based Exercises - Instytut Pileckiego
The Katyn Massacre – A Set of Source-Based Exercises
We are making available a set of exercises prepared for high school students, which can be used during history lessons or thematic classes.
The material was developed as part of the social and educational campaign “I Remember. Katyn 1940”, co-organized by the Pilecki Institute, the Katyn Museum, the Polish Army Museum, and the Federation of Katyn Families.
The set is based on materials from the digital archive of the Pilecki Institute and focuses on the Katyn massacre and the broader context of Soviet terror against citizens of the Second Polish Republic, including deportations, NKVD investigations, and forced labor. The PDF file contains written sources and eyewitness accounts in video form, as well as tasks that develop skills in their analysis and interpretation.
The contents have been designed to meet the diverse needs of students, from exercises involving the retrieval of information to tasks requiring independent formulation of conclusions and reflection. As a result, they can be used both as an introduction to the topic and as a means of deepening work with historical sources.
The materials align with the requirements of the core curriculum while also emphasizing the need for responsible engagement with difficult historical testimonies. Working with materials that concern the dramatic experiences of individuals and entire communities becomes an opportunity not only to acquire knowledge but also to build sensitivity and critical thinking.
We encourage you to download the materials.
Events
- Conference: Oppositional Engagement of Women in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Systems of the 20th Century: Poland in a Comparative European Perspective (1919–1989)
conference
Conference: Oppositional Engagement of Women in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Systems of the 20th Century: Poland in a Comparative European Perspective (1919–1989)
We invite scholars to participate in an international academic conference devoted to various forms of activity undertaken by women who engaged in opposition and dissent under authoritarian and totalitarian rule in the 20th century.
- CALL FOR PAPERS | Conference “Shared Experiences – Different Paths? The Turning Point of 1956 and Its Significance for the Countries and Societies of East Central Europe”
conference
CALL FOR PAPERS | Conference “Shared Experiences – Different Paths? The Turning Point of 1956 and Its Significance for the Countries and Societies of East Central Europe”
The Pilecki Institute and the Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences invite you to participate in an international academic conference, Shared Experiences – Different Paths? The Turning Point of 1956 and Its Significance for the Countries and Societies of East Central Europe, which will be held on 19–21 October 2026 in Warsaw. The event is part of a series of conferences devoted to the history of transformations in East Central Europe after 1945.
- CALL FOR PAPERS: International academic conference „Soviet Central Asia as a Totalitarian Testing Ground” | Deadline for submissions: April 30
conference
CALL FOR PAPERS: International academic conference „Soviet Central Asia as a Totalitarian Testing Ground” | Deadline for submissions: April 30
The Pilecki Institute in Warsaw invites scholars to take part in the international academic conference “Soviet Central Asia as a Totalitarian Testing Ground”, to be held on 15–17 June 2026 at the Institute’s headquarters in Warsaw.
- CALL FOR PAPERS: Oppositional Engagement of Women in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Systems of the 20th Century: Poland in a Comparative European Perspective (1919–1989)
conference
CALL FOR PAPERS: Oppositional Engagement of Women in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Systems of the 20th Century: Poland in a Comparative European Perspective (1919–1989)
We invite scholars to participate in an international academic conference devoted to various forms of activity undertaken by women who engaged in opposition and dissent under authoritarian and totalitarian rule in the 20th century.
- Call for Papers | Embracing the New, Preserving the Old: Studying Fascism, Communism, and Totalitarianism in the 2020s (October 14-15)
conference
Call for Papers | Embracing the New, Preserving the Old: Studying Fascism, Communism, and Totalitarianism in the 2020s (October 14-15)
We invite historians, political scientists, sociologists, scholars of culture and media, and others interested to reflect on methods, cases, and knowledge production related to the study of fascism, communism, and totalitarianism in the 2020s.
- The conference “The Roots of Crimes against Humanity: Bridging the Normative Gap” places Warsaw at the center of global human rights diplomacy
conference
The conference “The Roots of Crimes against Humanity: Bridging the Normative Gap” places Warsaw at the center of global human rights diplomacy
As global efforts to codify a groundbreaking legal act intensify, Warsaw is becoming a center of legal discourse. The international conference “The Roots of Crimes against Humanity: Bridging the Normative Gap" will be held on April 20–21, 2026. This event represents a significant contribution to the discussion on the first-ever United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity.
- Pilecki Institute International Teachers and Educators Program 5th edition. Post-war decade. | Call for participants
project
Pilecki Institute International Teachers and Educators Program 5th edition. Post-war decade. | Call for participants
Recruitment for the fifth edition of the Pilecki Institute International Teachers and Educators Program has begun. We invite teachers and educators from around the world to participate in the online conference. This year, we are focusing on the history of
- Inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York | A transatlantic bridge for values that are dear to us all
Event
Inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York | A transatlantic bridge for values that are dear to us all
This coming weekend, the Pilecki Institute will inaugurate its activities in New York.
- Steve Crawshaw at the Pilecki Institute in Berlin! | Accompanying Event: “Unknown Legacies of the Nuremberg.”
Event
Steve Crawshaw at the Pilecki Institute in Berlin! | Accompanying Event: “Unknown Legacies of the Nuremberg.”
Join us a special event accompanying our two-day international conference “Unknown Legacies of the Nuremberg Trial: Regional Approaches and Perspectives in East Central Europe.”
- Conference: Unknown Legacies of the Nuremberg Trial: Regional Approaches and Perspectives in East Central Europe
conference
Conference: Unknown Legacies of the Nuremberg Trial: Regional Approaches and Perspectives in East Central Europe
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the academic conference "Unknown Legacies of the Nuremberg Trial: Regional Approaches and Perspectives in East Central Europe".
- Film "Soviet Camp 0331"
Event
Film "Soviet Camp 0331"
As part of the program accompanying the opening of the Pilecki Institute headquarters at 82 Sienna Street, we invite you to a screening of a film about the tragic experiences of the inhabitants of the Vilnius region.
- Debate "World War 2, Russia and Ukraine in the Era of the Smartphone War"
debate
Debate "World War 2, Russia and Ukraine in the Era of the Smartphone War"
As part of the events accompanying the opening of the new headquarters of the Pilecki Institute at 82 Sienna Street, we invite you to a a debate on how Russia and Ukraine use and reinterpret the memory of World War II in the context of today’s war.