Statement - Instytut Pileckiego

The Pilecki Institute announces that Hanna Radziejowska has been dismissed from her position as head of the Pilecki Institute's Berlin branch for objective reasons.

The dismissal is based on Article 4b(3) of the Act of 9 November 2017 on the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valour, in conjunction with the relevant provisions of the Organisational Regulations of the Pilecki Institute Branch in Berlin.

Hanna Radziejowska's recent actions have seriously undermined her employer's trust. Her overinterpretations and insinuations in social media and traditional media regarding the projects carried out by the Institute constitute a violation of norms and employee-employer relations. In particular, when internal correspondence or concerns about the Institute's activities are disclosed to third parties without prior internal discussion.

The Pilecki Institute Branch in Berlin plays an important role in the Institute's international structure. Its tasks include conducting scientific research, documenting the effects of 20th-century totalitarianism and commemorating its victims. In recent years, the team in Berlin has carried out a number of valuable activities, including cooperation with Ukrainian archivists and the promotion of Polish history in Germany.

The new acting head of the Pilecki Institute Branch in Berlin will be presented next week during a meeting with the team and in a separate press release.

The Berlin team will continue its activities. All programmes and projects in line with the Institute's mission will be continued. The Pilecki Institute aims to strengthen the role of its Berlin office as part of an international network supporting research and commemorating the victims of 20th-century totalitarianism, with a particular focus on the effects of German Nazism in Central and Eastern Europe.