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The Institute of National Remembrance began co-operation with American institutions as early as the year 2000. The Institute has established relations both with government agencies and non-governmental organisations.

On February 12th- 16th, 2001 President of the Institute Professor Leon Kieres visited New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles where he met the representatives of the US Department of Justice and a number of non-governmental organizations. During his meetings he talked to the representatives of Polonia, Polish Veterans, Jewish organizations and American media. One should emphasize his visits to the American Holocaust Memorial Museum and Simon Wiesenthal Center which originated regular contacts between these institutions and the Institute of National Remembrance.

In May 2001 Professor Kieres was invited to deliver a speech at the seminar organized by the Woodrow Wilson Center. He also met with the representatives of the Washington Polonia.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, established by an Act of Congress in 1980, is America's national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country's memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust. The Museum's primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.

The Museum strives to broaden public understanding of the history of the Holocaust through multifaceted programs: exhibitions; research and publication; collecting and preserving material evidence, art, and artifacts relating to the Holocaust; annual Holocaust commemorations known as the Days of Remembrance; distribution of educational materials and teacher resources; and a variety of public programming designed to enhance understanding of the Holocaust and related issues, including those of contemporary significance.

The Institute of National Remembrance co-operates also with other American and US-based organizations. Regular contacts are maintained, among others, with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Auschwitz Jewish Center and the Radio Free Europe as well as with universities and independent research centers.

Subdivision Content

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| Eastern Europe |

| Western Europe |

| Israel |

| United States |

{PODZIEL:Official Visit of the President of the IPN to the United States, February 11th 17th, 2001}

The first official visit to the United States of the President of the Institute of National Remembrance Professor Leon Kieres concentrated mainly on the meetings with representatives of Polonia and the Jewish Diaspora.

At the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, the President of the Institute met with the Rabbi Jacob Baker, a former inhabitant of Jedwabne, and with Rabbi Michael Schudrich of Warsaw. Their meeting mainly focused on the investigation of the manslaughter of Jewish inhabitants of Jedwabne town, currently under investigation by the Institute's Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation.

In New York, Professor Kieres also met with the American Jewish Committee, one of the oldest organisations set up by Polonia. During the meeting, he presented the activities of the Institute, and addressed current issues on the Polish-Jewish dialogue, including the one of restitution of Jewish property in Poland. It is worth mentioning that the American Jewish Committee supported the campaign towards Poland's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Mr. Daniel Eisenstadt of Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, Mr. Benjamin Meed of American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, Mr. Kalman Sultnik of World Zionist Organisation, and Ms. Deborah Sklar of American Jewish Committee met with Profesor Kieres on that day. After the meeting, the President of the Institute said:

"I was received with great interest by the representatives of the Jewish Diaspora, which gradually has turned into kindness. It was a great surprise to (the participants of the meeting) that we have the investigation going in Jedwabne case. The courage that we have shown in this regard turned out to be positive for Polish interests."

President of the Institute of National Remembrance visited also Joseph Piłsudski Institute of New York, an institution devoted to the ideals of sovereign Poland, where he introduced current and planned activities of the IPN. Polonia leaders engaged in the Polish-Jewish dialogue were main participants of that meeting. Professor Kieres also held a press conference with representatives of Polish-American media (Tygodnik Nowojorski, Kurier Plus, Super Express, TV Studio-3) and Jewish media (Jewish Press, Jewish Week, Forward). President of the IPN met with members of the Veteran Association of the Polish Army, set-up during the First World War out of volunteers living in the USA who fought for Poland's independence in the Blue Army led by General J. Haller.

On the second day of the official visit to the US, in Washington DC, the President of the Institute visited Special Investigation Office - Criminal Division, which is an independent authority of the American Justice Department, led by Mr. Eli M. Rosenbaum. From January 1991 until December 2000, the Special Investigations Office directed 51 appeals to Poland for legal support through the mediation of the American Embassy in Warsaw. Mr. Rosenbaum declared his office's support of the Polish side in prosecution of war criminals (including the provision of access to the American archives). Later on, Professor Kieres met with the Vice General Prosecutor, Mr. Bruce Swartz, who expressed his appreciation of the activities of the Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation.

At the Polish Embassy in Washington, Professor Kieres met with the representatives of Washington Polonia. He gave an account of the meeting with the representatives of the Jewish community in New York. While making a reference to the Jedwabne case, Professor Kieres stressed that the Institute had reopened the investigation of Jedwabne already in July 2000, sooner than the book "Neighbours" by Jan Gross was published. The Institute plans to issue a book on Jedwabne after the case is closed. Professor Kieres visited the Holocaust Museum on that day, where he had a chance to view the permanent exhibit.

On the fourth day of the official visit to the US, President Kieres travelled to Los Angeles where he met with the Polonia elite, and visited Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance. He met Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the co-founder of the Center, and other representatives of that institution.

While in Chicago, Professor Kieres participated in a meeting with Polish-American lawyers of Chicago Kent College of Law. This institution has close relations with the Catholic University of Lublin. The President of IPN also held a press conference with Chicago Polish-American media. The visit to the US ended with a meeting with leaders of Polonia veteran organisations active in the United States.

{PODZIEL:Visit of the President of the IPN to the USA May 1_3, 2001}

From May 1st to May 3rd, 2001, President of the Institute of National Remembrance Professor Leon Kieres, upon the invitation of the United States Woodraw Wilson Center, paid a visit to the United States. He participated in the seminar entitled "Poles, Their Past and Their Neighbors: Remembrance and Reconciliation."

During the seminar on May 2nd, 2001, Professor Leon Kieres made a speech on the subject of "The Legal Aspect of the Confrontation with the Past: Poland's Case 1989-2000."

The following notable persons took part in the seminar: Professor Włodzimierz Borodziej, Professor Zbigniew Brzeziński, Mr. Lee Hamilton (Director of Woodraw Wilson Center), Mr. Pavol Lukac, Mr. Ceslav Okincic, Professor Andrzej Paczkowski, Professor Wojciech Roszkowski (University of Virginia), and Mr. Timothy Snyder.

On the same day, Professor Kieres took part in the meeting with Washington Polonia which was organized by the Association of Friends of the Polish Library in Washington DC (informal organization meeting in the Polish Embassy).

On the last day of the visit (May 3rd, 2001) Professor L. Kieres participated in the celebration commemorating the signing of the Constitution of May the Third. President of the IPN took an opportunity to meet the Polish media stationed in Washington D.C.

{PODZIEL:Signing Agreement with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum}

The act of initialing the agreement between the Institute of National Remembrance - Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum took place at the IPN headquarters in Warsaw on May 9th, 2001. The agreement initiated a new chapter of IPN-USHMM relations. It opened a way to further negotiations on co-operation in the areas of common interest, such as investigations, preservation of archival materials and education.

Professor Leon Kieres, President of the IPN, greeted the guests from USHMM and made a reference to the statutory obligation of the Institute of National Remembrance, which is the preservation of the continuity of responsibilities of the Polish state."We are the chief depositors of the believes, hopes and faith that the Polish state will not avert from its caring responsibilities invested by the Polish citizens before the Second World War who had entrusted themselves into the hands of the Polish state," said Professor Kieres. He also referred to a painful history of the victims of the Holocaust tyranny, common both to the IPN and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

"From these very windows one can see places where some people had been sentenced to extermination by other people. We are obligated to cherish the memory of the victims and of those who from the other side of the wall attempted to help them," said Professor Kieres.

While expressing his excitement from the invitation to the IPN, Rabbi Irving Greenberg, Chairman of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, made a particular reference to Professor Kieres' position on the Jedwabne case, and said that he was "the first Polish official that I heard in public stand up saying that it was a serious concern and crime that will be dealt with integrity and honesty and was fully prepared to express Polish people's commitment to take responsibility for this happening."

"I must say, aside from the fact, that I thought it took courage and strength to say so, I do think it added to the respect and honour which the American people have for the Polish people, that you had such a main stream official prepared to speak with such candour and integrity about this matter," said Rabbi Greenberg.

Mr. Miles Lerman, Chairman Emeritus of the USHMM Council, who have been negotiating with the Polish archival institutions for the past fifteen years, and who co-operated with the former Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against the Polish Nation in the area of document preservation, was also present at the meeting.

Mr. Lerman said: "I would like to congratulate Professor Kieres that you have people of this calibre as your representatives. (...) We are looking forward to working with our institution because this is the most important link that we have. (...) Professor Kieres, I am looking forward to very fruitful and positive co-operation between Dr. Greenberg and you, and between our colleagues and your associates."

During the next part of the meeting, Professor Kieres formally handed over one of the originals of the "The Announcement of Death Penalty for Helping Jews who Unlawfully Crossed Ghetto's Boarder", issued on September 5th, 1942 r by the Head of SS and Police.

Presentation of this particular keepsake to the American Holocaust Memorial Museum's collection in Washington is to show its visitors the reality of war. It is to make the immeasurable array of people coming to the museum aware that Polish people risked their own lives and the lives of their families while saving Jews from oppression.

The announcement is to serve as a warning so that the history of segregation of people never repeats itself, while saving the life of a human being is not going to be subject to penalty again.

16 August 2006