The war in Ukraine – the Pilecki Institute’s debate - Instytut Pileckiego

Russia’s invasion brings war to Europe on a scale unknown to us since WWII. We invite you to listen to the expert discussion on the situation in Ukraine.

We are witnessing an unprovoked and unjustified attack on sovereign Ukraine. Destruction, human suffering, and a loss of life will follow. Today is a painful reminder of what history has repeatedly taught us before. We stand with the people of Ukraine!

The panelists:

• Dr. Łukasz Adamski – Historian and political scientist, specialist in Central and Eastern European history as well as in current political situation of Ukraine and Russia. Deputy Director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding since 2016. In 2006-2011 he worked at the Polish Institute of International Affairs as an analyst and then as Programme Coordinator for Bilateral Relations in Europe. In 2014 he was Reporting Officer in OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. His works were published in academic journals and press, including "Gazeta Wyborcza", "Rzeczpospolita", "Tygodnik Powszechny" and "Süddeutsche Zeitung". Author of the monograph „Nacjonalista postępowy. Mychajło Hruszewski i jego poglądy na Polskę i Polaków” ("Progressive nationalist. Mykhailo Hrushevsky and his views on Poland and the Poles "), Warsaw, 2011.
• Marek Budzisz – a historian, journalist and columnist specializing in the subject of Russia and the post-Soviet East. He cooperates with Strategy & Future. Author of “Koniec rosyjskiej Ameryki. Rozważania o przyczynach sprzedaży Alaski”.
• Prof. Magdalena Gawin – Director of the Pilecki Institute, PhD, is a historian, professor of the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences, author and co-author of books, joint publications and articles. Her works were published in domestic and foreign scholarly, cultural and socio-political journals, as well as daily press. She focuses on the history of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the history of culture. She is the initiator of the “Called by Name” program.
• Prof. Piotr Madajczyk – head of the Department of German Studies at the Institute of Political Studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Editor-in-chief of the “Rocznik Polsko-Niemiecki” yearbook. His research interests concern the issue of national minorities in Poland, Polish-German relations in the 20th century, forced migration in Central Europe after World War II, and the contemporary history of Poland. He lectures in Poland and Germany. Author of articles published in numerous scholarly journals. In addition to academic work, he also engages in historical journalism devoted to contemporary events in Germany and Austria.
• Hanna Radziejowska – Director of the Pilecki Institute in Berlin, coordinator, curator, producer,and scriptwriter of cultural and museum projects. Together with Jack Fairweather, she has curated the exhibition “Der Freiwillige. Witold Pilecki und die Unterwanderung von Auschwitz” which has been awarded the “Historical Event of the Year 2019” prize for the best exhibition and is located at the Pilecki Institute in Berlin. In 2019 her exhibition “Houses of Glass” won the Mayor of Warsaw´s exhibition award in the category “Best Event on Architecture”.

Moderator: 

• Dr. Mateusz Werner – manager of the section of totalitarian studies at the Pilecki Institute’s Center for Totalitarian Studies. Philosopher of culture, essayist and film critic. Author of the book “Facing up to Nihilism. Gombrowicz, Witkacy” (2010), publisher of a collection of “Pier Paolo Pasolini’s essays Po ludobójstwie” (2012), editor of “What Kieślowski Tells Us Today?” (2008) and “Polish Cinema Now! Focus On Contemporary Polish Cinema” (2010). Lecturer at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw. Editor of the philosophical quarterly “Kronos”.