Wykład „Redefining War Crimes in the Midst of Nazi Occupation: the UNWCC Archives as a subject and a resource” | SIENNA - NOWE OTWARCIE - Instytut Pileckiego

As part of the events accompanying the opening of the new headquarters of the Pilecki Institute at 82 Sienna Street, we invite you to a talk exploring the history and legacy of the United Nations War Crimes Commission.

Spotkanie prowadzone w języku angielskim. Zapewnione będzie tłumaczenie na polski. 

In 1943 the Allies established the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC), a unique body of international legal experts tasked with responding to the atrocities being committed by the Axis powers in occupied Europe and Asia. Their deliberations would set the stage for all subsequent discussion and debate over War Crimes policy and over international legal and judicial means for preventing and for punishing War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and what would soon be known as Crimes of Genocide. These are debates which would dominate the entire post-war period, and which continue down to this very day. The vital work and history of this fascinating commission can be studied in detail through the archive of the United Nations War Crimes Commission, now available to the public as a part of the Pilecki Institute’s online archival collections.

Dr. John Cornell will discuss the history of the UNWCC, its place in the development of international law, and its potential for historical research, followed by a presentation of the archive online and how to use it by archival expert Aleksandra Korzycka.

Aleksandra Korzycka is a senior specialist in the Archives Section of the Pilecki Institute and an expert on the UNWCC Archives.

John Cornell is an adjunct at the Pilecki Institute’s Center for the Study of Totalitarianisms, where his research focuses on Polish-British relations during the Second World War and, more recently, on popular music and youth culture in the PRL in the context of Poland’s evolving civil society. He has worked with the Institute since 2016 on projects such as the "Chronicles of Terror" database and the "English in Academia" workshop series, and holds a PhD in Modern European History from the University of Michigan, where he specialized in modern French musical culture.

The meeting will be conducted in English. Translation will be provided.

September 6 (Friday), 5:30 p.m.
Free admission
Venue: Pilecki Institute, Sienna 82, IP auditorium (ground floor)