Debate: Lessons from Nuremberg for the 21st Century | Inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York - Instytut Pileckiego
11.03.2026 (Wed)
Debate: Lessons from Nuremberg for the 21st Century | Inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York
During the debate we will look at how the Nuremberg Trials and the structures of international justice and cooperation between states that they initiated helped shape the post-war world order.
For while – in no small measure paradoxically – the Cold War brought about momentous achievements in the global recognition of human rights (manifested, among others, by the adoption of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide), it was, more understandably, marked by violent conflicts and crises in which war crimes and acts of genocide painfully undermined faith in the efficacy and impartiality of international justice.
The end of the Cold War and the world’s passage into the 21st century have not resulted in these tensions being finally overcome – on the contrary, many have even been exacerbated. Before our eyes, the dangerous doctrine of “might makes right” is marking a noticeable comeback, threatening the fragile order of international cooperation and the system of collective security built up over decades.
Thinking back to Nuremberg, it is worth asking what problems and unresolved issues existed at the very beginning of this project, and how they could have undermined the vision of world peace based on international justice – a vision that Nuremberg seemed to promise. At the same time, it is important to inquire what factors have enabled the emergence and maturation of institutions of global cooperation, such as the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court, and how the output of these bodies can be harnessed and developed in the face of contemporary and future crises.
Guests:
- Steve Crawshaw: A British journalist and writer, and a former correspondent for “The Independent”. He has held directorships at Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and specializes in matters of international justice.
- Jack El-Hai: an American journalist and author specializing in history, medicine and science, and author of the bestselling reportage “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist”. A lecturer at leading universities (among others Yale and Harvard), and a speaker at renowned medical institutions. His articles have been published in various prestigious magazines, including “The Atlantic”, “Scientific American” and “Wired”.
- Mark Kramer: Director of the Cold War Studies program at Harvard University’s Davis Center. Editor-in-Chief of the “Journal of Cold War Studies”, and author of publications based on research conducted in archives of the former Warsaw Pact.
- Igor Lukeš: Professor of History and International Relations at Boston University. A specialist in the history of Central Europe and the operations of secret services. Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Boston.
- Krystian Wiciarz: acting Deputy Director for Scholarly Affairs at the Pilecki Institute.
Moderator:
- Dr. John Cornell, an Adjunct at the Center for Totalitarian Studies of the Pilecki Institute
More about the inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York (click).
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