Inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York | A transatlantic bridge for values that are dear to us all - Instytut Pileckiego

This coming weekend, the Pilecki Institute will inaugurate its activities in New York.

The facility, located in Manhattan’s financial district (92 Greenwich Street), in the immediate vicinity of Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial and the Museum of Jewish Heritage, will function as both an interdisciplinary research center and a cultural and exhibition space. The opening of Pilecki Institute USA in New York marks not only a new chapter in the Institute’s activities, but above all an opportunity to introduce the Polish historical experience into the global discourse on freedom and human dignity.

“We are opening a space for dialogue about the history of 20th century’s totalitarian regimes and the memory of their victims. The aim of Pilecki Institute USA will be to build lasting bridges connecting Europe’s unique historical experience with the history and universal values of America”, said Karol Madaj, acting director of the Pilecki Institute. “At the center of our work stands the patron of the Institute, Captain Witold Pilecki. His life is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in confrontation with the two darkest political systems of the 20th century: German Nazism and Soviet communism. He was imprisoned in the German concentration camp Auschwitz, yet he ultimately died at the hands of communist criminals. His struggle for freedom and the inalienable dignity of the human person is a legacy close not only to the heart of every Pole, but also to every American. We recall Pilecki’s biography because we wish to actively shape historical and political imagination and to present Poland as we ourselves see it: a leader in the defense of democratic values. We will invite New Yorkers to discover the history of Poland and Europe. We will present the forces that have shaped the Old Continent in recent decades. We will speak about heroes, victims and perpetrators. We will reveal the sources of ideologies that deprive people of what matters most – freedom, hope and security. We will also support scholars of history, facilitating access to unique archival materials, witness testimonies and expert analyses,” the director added.

The Pilecki Institute USA is opening its doors to the general public, offering a preview of experiences that will soon become part of the everyday program of the Institute’s American branch. The first day of the inauguration will focus on the Institute’s social, educational and archival activities. The second will concentrate on the history of memory, testimony and interdisciplinary research. The program prepared for participants includes exhibitions, panel discussions and concerts.

“As Poles, we value freedom and actively participate in shaping a modern future and the global development of the world. At the Pilecki Institute USA we will cultivate the memory of the consequences of 20th-century totalitarian systems, which in today’s climate of political tensions and the resurgence of authoritarian systems should serve as both a warning and an inspiration in the pursuit of peace and democracy. We are also open to cultural, diplomatic and promotional projects, creating a platform for cooperation and synergy”, explained Piotr Franaszek, CEO of the Pilecki Institute USA.

As an institution dedicated to researching the two totalitarian systems of the 20th century, the Pilecki Institute has the privilege of representing a historical experience that American society has never directly undergone. During the two-day event, we aim to draw from our research and projects to demonstrate how the responsibility of the state was shaped: both in protecting the individual during wartime and in addressing the consequences of violations of the fundamental rights to which every person is entitled.

“Lessons from Nuremberg for the 21st Century”

In the spirit of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, we invite the public to a discussion on how the hopes and the tragedies of the 20th century shaped the world we live in today. The pop-science debate “Lessons from Nuremberg for the 21st Century” will address the Nuremberg Trials as a foundation of the post-war legal order and their influence on contemporary international relations. Participants will include Steve Crawshaw – a British journalist, writer and human-rights advocate; Mark Kramer – director of the Cold War Studies Program at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University; Igor Lukes – professor of international relations and history at Boston University; and Jack El-Hai – author of the bestselling reportage book “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist”. On the same day, the Pilecki Institute will also present the pilot episode of the audio series “Courtroom 600. Witnesses of Nuremberg”.

“A Tool of Survival: The Story of the Ładoś Group”

As part of the inauguration of the Institute’s activities, the exhibition “A Tool of Survival: The Story of the Ładoś Group” will be presented to American audiences. It tells the story of the heroic work of the Ładoś Group – Polish diplomats in Bern, Switzerland, who cooperated with Jewish organizations during the Second World War to carry out the so-called passport operation aimed at saving Jews from the Holocaust. The exhibition presents the results of ongoing research being conducted by the Pilecki Institute since 2018, shedding new light on this little-known chapter of history. It is worth recalling that in 2019, the premiere of a publication organized jointly with the World Jewish Congress in New York City proved to be a breakthrough moment. It was then, when the passport operation and the activities of Polish diplomats working together with Jewish organizations in Switzerland became known to a wider international audience, that individuals began contacting the Institute saying they had come into contact, directly or indirectly, with these Paraguayan passports. The passport operation maintained direct connections with Jewish organizations in the United States, including the New York-based Vaad Hatzalah committee. By granting Jewish organizations access to the cipher codes of the Polish Legation in Bern, Aleksander Ładoś made it possible to maintain secret communication between the United States and occupied Europe, circumventing censorship. This proved crucial for coordinating financial assistance and transmitting information about Jews in danger. Even more importantly, among the thousands of people saved were families whose descendants now live and work in the United States.

Meeting with Witnesses of History

The exhibition opening will be accompanied by two lectures. Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, a former long-time director at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, received assistance as a child, together with his family, from the Polish Legation in Bern, which enabled them to survive the war safely in Switzerland. In his lecture, Dr. Paldiel will outline the details and mechanisms of the operation that continues to surprise researchers with its scale and with the cooperation between Polish diplomats and representatives of Jewish organizations. He will explain why the everyday collaboration and the profound trust linking Polish officials with Jewish activists was a phenomenon unique across the whole of occupied Europe. The second speaker will be Dr. Heidi Fishman, daughter of Ruth “Tutti” Fishman, a Holocaust survivor rescued by the Ładoś Group. A psychologist, an activist of the Vermont Holocaust Memorial and a member of the International Committee of the Ładoś Group, Dr. Fishman will recount the dramatic story of her family and how a Ładoś passport became their passage to survival. She is also the author of the book “Tutti’s Promise”, which tells the wartime story of her mother.

Installation / Display

During the inauguration of the Pilecki Institute USA, an installation presenting the Institute’s patron, Witold Pilecki, will also be unveiled. The display dedicated to the Cavalry Captain serves as a preview of the permanent exhibition “Proof of Courage”, scheduled to open later this year. The exhibition will tell the story of Witold Pilecki as both a witness and a hero of resistance against two totalitarian systems – German Nazism and Soviet communism – while at the same time highlighting the universal dimensions of resistance, solidarity, and the price that some societies and nations must pay for freedom. The story of Witold Pilecki will be presented through seven thematic modules corresponding to the seven most significant periods of the hero’s life. At the center of each module will be a faithful replica of clothing inspired by Pilecki’s authentic attire at a given historical moment – from the scout uniform of his youth during the First World War and the struggles for Polish independence, through the uniform of an officer of the Polish Army, the clothing of a landowner and cooperative activist of the interwar period, the camp uniform he wore during his mission to the German concentration camp Auschwitz, and finally the modest suit that was the attire of a political prisoner in Stalinist Poland. Complementing the visual and scenographic layer will be illustrations, films, period photographs and multimedia materials, as well as curatorial and educational texts. Through the use of modern exhibition techniques and an emphasis on the sense of the hero’s “material presence”, the exhibition will become a tool for shaping a culture of remembrance and for counteracting disinformation and oversimplified historical narratives concerning Poland and the region.

The inauguration of the Pilecki Institute in New York will be accompanied by concerts by Urszula Dudziak promoting her latest album, UlaNova. After a long break, the artist decided to release her next album independently, on her own terms, with the help of her long-time musicians and collaborators.

“I am very happy that my new album has been released. It is made up of very disparate songs, because that’s how I am; I like extremes and constant movement between them”, said Urszula Dudziak.

“From classical music to a strange sort of madness that can scare some people and soothe and calm others. I am taking you on an extreme journey through my esthetics, taste, sensitivity, and experimentation. This album features compositions that have been sitting in my treasure chest for a long time, crying out for a change of place," she added.

Urszula Dudziak is a Polish jazz singer and composer. She is considered one of the best jazz singers in the world. She has performed and recorded with musicians such as Krzysztof Komeda, Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Nina Simone, Sting, and many others.

EVENT PROGRAM

Saturday, 14 March

(participation is open to everyone)

• 16:00 – Debate: “Lessons from Nuremberg for the 21st Century”
  • Guests: Steve Crawshaw, Mark Kramer, Igor Lukes, Jack El-Hai, Krystian Wiciarz
  • Moderator: John Cornell
• 17:30 – Refreshments
  • An opportunity to learn more about the Institute – visit its reading room and digital archive, and explore the exhibition dedicated to the Ładoś Group.
• 18:30 – Hearing through the audio series “Courtroom 600. Witnesses of Nuremberg”
  • First episode: “Tadeusz Cyprian. An observer from Poland”.
• 19:00 – Refreshments
• 19:30 – A special occasion concert
  • Performance by Urszula Dudziak and her band.

Sunday, 15 March

(participation is by invitation only)

• 17:00 – Official program
  • A presentation of the mission of the Pilecki Institute in New York.
  • A special occasion concert performed by Urszula Dudziak and her band.
• 18:00 – Refreshments
• 18:15 – Special lecture
  • Speaker: Mordecai Paldiel, former director of the Department of the Righteous at Yad Vashem.
• 19:00 – Meeting
  • Meeting with Heidi Fishman, the daughter of Ruth “Tutti” Fishman, who survived the Holocaust thanks to the Ładoś Group.
• 19:30 – Curatorial tour
  • Tour of the exhibition outlining the activities of the Ładoś Group.
• 20:00 – Buffet dinner

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