Sensation: Hanna Radziejowska and Mateusz Fałkowski return to the Pilecki Institute in Berlin
The former director of the Pilecki Institute in Berlin, Hanna Radziejowska, and her deputy, Mateusz Fałkowski, were dismissed by the former director in Warsaw. Now they are returning.
It is an incredible development, even a minor sensation: The Berlin Pilecki Institute announced on Thursday that Hanna Radziejowska and Mateusz Fałkowski have been allowed to return to the Berlin Pilecki Institute. This was also confirmed by the new director of the umbrella organization, Karol Madaj, in Warsaw. Hanna Radziejowska and Mateusz Fałkowski had been dismissed by the institution's former head, Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, who had accused them of abusing the relationship of trust. This followed a dispute over the direction of the Berlin Pilecki Institute. Ruchniewicz accused Hanna Radziejowska and Mateusz Fałkowski of misusing funding and criticized the institution for failing to fulfill its mission as a research institution. In recent years, the Pilecki Institute has supported the opposition movement in Belarus and, above all, carried out educational work on the crimes committed by the Russians in Ukraine. In addition, the focus was placed on the suffering of the Poles during World War II. The institution points out that too few Germans are still aware of the extent of the destruction the Nazis inflicted on the Poles between 1939 and 1945. Pilecki's two collaborators, Radziejowska and Fałkowski, who began their work during the reign of the right-wing conservative PiS government, have received considerable praise and recognition for their efforts, even from left-liberal circles. Both historians are considered competent and popular, especially in Germany.
Hanna Radziejowska, while still director of the Berlin Pilecki Institute, had a dispute with Ruchniewicz when she pointed out that the Pilecki director wanted to organize a conference ostensibly aimed at discussing the conditions for the return of alleged stolen property from Poland to Germany. The idea of such a conference aroused widespread concern among Polish society, especially among PiS politicians.
Ruchniewicz has since been dismissed. He was accused of escalating the crisis surrounding the Berlin Pilecki Institute. The Pilecki Institute's press release from Thursday states: "The Pilecki Institute announces that Hanna Radziejowska and Mateusz Fałkowski will resume their work at the Berlin branch. H. Radziejowska will assume the role of Plenipotentiary of the Director for the German-Polish Dialogue, while M. Fałkowski will return to the position of Deputy Director." Karol Madaj, Acting Director of the Pilecki Institute, praised the merits, professionalism, and exceptional commitment of both of them and their team in Berlin. At the signing of the agreement, Madaj emphasized that the continuation of the cooperation—in Radziejowska's case in a slightly different role—is fully justified. He expressed his conviction that the solution found will enable the effective implementation of the Institute's statutory objectives and, at the same time, contribute to the resolution of unnecessary disputes. In addition, the Director announced that a public competition for the head of the Berlin branch will be announced shortly. Pending its completion, Joanna Kiliszek takes office as acting head of the Berlin branch.”
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Berliner-zeitung
