The Witold Pilecki International Book Award | an open letter - Instytut Pileckiego
13.11.2021 (Sat)
The Witold Pilecki International Book Award | an open letter
An open letter from Wojciech Kozłowski, Director of the Pilecki Institute, to Eliyana Adler, the prizewinner of the Witold Pilecki International Book Award in the "Academic history book" category.
Dear Professor Adler,
The contents of the message that you had sent to the jury of the Witold Pilecki International Book Award and the Pilecki Institute on November 4, 2021 have just been made public. Therefore, I think it only fair to address you in an open letter.
You decided to decline the Witold Pilecki International Book Award in the “Academic Historical Book” category in this year’s inaugural edition. The members of the jury – a body of eminent scholars (not only historians), journalists, war reporters and museologists who represent not only several countries, but also different views and sensibilities – have already expressed their sadness and regret. I do not in the slightest question the rightness of the jury’s independent choice. I find it all the more regrettable that instead of discussing the merits of your wonderful book, we are pondering the reasons behind your unexpected decision.
In your message, you have briefly outlined the circumstances in which Nazi Germany implemented the Holocaust of the Jews during the Second World War. You have emphasized the significance of the collaboration between the invaders on the one hand and the governments and societies of the occupied countries on the other. You have pointed to various attitudes towards the Holocaust adopted by non-Jewish Poles. I agree with you in principle, though we might differ in particular assessments and interpretations. We can never find it out, however, if there is no will to meet, discuss, and face a different point of view. I agree that “recognizing and researching this entangled past is part of moving forward”. This cannot be done, however, in the absence of plurality of opinion and a culture of open dialogue.
I respect your view on the current state of Holocaust research in Poland, though I do not concur with it. However, I must protest against some demonstrably untrue remarks. You wrote that the Pilecki Institute “has also been involved in suppressing the work of historians who strive to show the complex and indeed tragic aspects of Poland’s wartime past” and supports the government in its attempts “to curtail this crucial research through the threat and reality of legal action”. I am not surprised that you make these allegations with neither proof nor example, and that is because they are completely unfounded. Just as with studying the past, consulting the sources and verifying the readily available narratives is also required to develop an informed opinion about the present. This, however, takes more time than the four days that had passed between your positive response to the information that you have won the award and your final decision to decline it.
One of the reasons for establishing the Witold Pilecki International Book Award was to broaden the scope of discussion on the 20th-century history of Poland, so that books on the same subject published in various languages and in different cultures could engage in direct dialogue and compete on equal terms. We still believe that this is possible. As one of the winners of the first edition, you are always welcome at the Pilecki Institute – in Warsaw, Berlin or online – for a seminar, lecture, panel discussion, conference or a book promotion. This is a standing invitation.
I would like to congratulate you both on your excellent book and the complimentary decision of the jury of the Pilecki Award.
Yours sincerely,
Wojciech Kozłowski, PhD
Director of the Pilecki Institute
See also
- Announcement
News
Announcement
The Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor, the sole shareholder of Pilecki Institute (USA), Inc., announces that the Board of Directors has appointed Jack Fairweather as the interim President (CEO) of Pilecki Institute (USA), Inc., effective as of 18 June 2026. His task will be to expand the program strategy in line with the statutory mission of the Pilecki Institute’s New York branch.
- The MODEERN FREEDOM exhibition at the Pilecki Institute NYC is now open!
News
The MODEERN FREEDOM exhibition at the Pilecki Institute NYC is now open!
The largest group presentation of Polish contemporary art in New York since MoMA’s legendary “Fifteen Polish Painters” exhibition in 1961.
- The Witold Pilecki International Book Award for historical books. Applications accepted only until the end of June!
News
The Witold Pilecki International Book Award for historical books. Applications accepted only until the end of June!
The Pilecki Institute is accepting applications for the Witold Pilecki International Book Award until the end of June. The competition, now in its sixth year, is organized with the participation of the Patron’s Family and in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.
- On better protection against crimes against humanity: Summary of the international conference “The Roots of Crimes Against Humanity”
News
On better protection against crimes against humanity: Summary of the international conference “The Roots of Crimes Against Humanity”
The international conference “The Roots of Crimes Against Humanity: Bridging the Normative Gap” successfully concluded at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw. Organized on the 20th and 21st of April 2026, in cooperation with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event aimed to provide historical and academic foundations for the first-ever United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity.
- April 30 Deadline: Poland Proposes "Child-Sensitive Approach" for New UN Convention
News
April 30 Deadline: Poland Proposes "Child-Sensitive Approach" for New UN Convention
Beginning with today’s (April 30) deadline for all nations to submit their official comments to the United Nations on the draft of the proposed Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, Poland has made an aggressive bid to become one of the leaders representing the globe’s most vulnerable victims.
- Recap of the 5th edition of the Pilecki Institute International Teachers and Educators Program (ITEP)
News
Recap of the 5th edition of the Pilecki Institute International Teachers and Educators Program (ITEP)
This year's online conference focused on the post-war decade of 1945–1955 – a time of rebuilding devastated countries, the beginning of the Cold War, and the birth of a new international order.
- Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visits the Augustów Roundup Memorial House
News
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visits the Augustów Roundup Memorial House
On 22 April 2026, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition, visited the Augustów Roundup Memorial House.
- Research cooperation between the International Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) and the Pilecki Institute
News
Research cooperation between the International Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) and the Pilecki Institute
The Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor has entered into official cooperation with the International Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) at Philipps University in Marburg.
- Researchers from the Pilecki Institute at BASEES 2026 in Birmingham
News
Researchers from the Pilecki Institute at BASEES 2026 in Birmingham
On 10–12 April, the BASEES 2026 Annual Conference was held in Birmingham; the international academic meeting was organized by the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies.
- Research Visit of Luke Marlow from Aston University at the Pilecki Institute
News
Research Visit of Luke Marlow from Aston University at the Pilecki Institute
From 13 April to 8 May 2026, Luke Marlow, a doctoral researcher at Aston University, will be undertaking a research visit at the Pilecki Institute. The visit is carried out as a part of the Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
- New Pilecki Awards Committee Appointed
News
New Pilecki Awards Committee Appointed
Pursuant to the Regulations of the Competition and the Operating Regulations of the Awards Committee, on 1 April 2026, the Acting Director of the Pilecki Institute, Karol Madaj, appointed the Awards Committee for the 6th edition of the Witold Pilecki International Book Award. The eight-member Awards Committee includes three permanent members representing the Pilecki family, the Pilecki Institute, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, as well as members appointed each time by written decision of the Director of the Institute.
- Announcement | Competition for a research scholarship titled “The Provenance of Cultural Property Lost During the Nazi Occupation of Poland”
News
Announcement | Competition for a research scholarship titled “The Provenance of Cultural Property Lost During the Nazi Occupation of Poland”
Announcement of a competition for scholarships at the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor, branch office in Berlin.