Jarosław Szarek, Ph.D.was born in 1963 in Czechowice-Dziedzice. He is a historian (Ph.D. in history) and a journalist. He is a graduate of the Faculty of History of the Jagiellonian University (1991). He obtained his doctoral degree in history at the Department of History and Cultural Heritage of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow in 2011. His thesis "The activity of the Security Services among Cracow University students in the years 1970–1980" was written under the supervision of Prof. Ryszard Terlecki. In 1992–1997, he worked for the “Czas Krakowski” journal, in the following years he published press materials, among others, in “Gazeta Polska”, “Nowe Państwo”, “Gość Niedzielny”, “Dziennik Polski”, London-based “Tydzień Polski”, “Polonia Christiana”, “Gazeta Polska Codziennie”, “Nasz Dziennik”, “Źródło” magazine (member of the editorial board), the bimonthly “Arcana” (member of the editorial board). In 1998–1999, he was the editor-in-chief of the volume Kronika XX wieku: Polska i świat [Chronicle of the 20th Century: Poland and the World].

 

Beginning from 2000, Szarek was an employee of the Institute of National Remembrance, Cracow Branch. He is an author of historical articles, articles popularizing history among the general public, exhibitions, workshops for teachers and young people, and historical supplements to the press. He also organized historical competitions, and authored scenarios for programs which popularize history. He co-authored a series of popular science books Z archiwów bezpieki – nieznane karty PRL (2006–2010) [From the Security Services’ Archives. Unknown Episodes from the People’s Republic of Poland] and a series of popular books Kocham Polskę [I love Poland](2007–2016). On 22 July 2016, the Polish Parliament appointed him as the President of the Institute of National Remembrance.

In 2007, he was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit for his contribution to documenting the truth about recent Polish history by the late President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński. In 2019, he received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary and the Medal of the Centenary of the Polish State Police.

 

Selected publications:

 

Author

 

• Wojna z narodem, Warsaw 2006.

• Czarne juwenalia, Cracow 2007.

• Powstanie Styczniowe. Zryw wolnych Polaków, Cracow 2013.

• Przebudzenie Polaków. 1920 Prawdziwy cud nad Wisłą, Cracow2015.

 

Co-author

 

• Czy ktoś przebije ten mur? Sprawa Stanisława Pyjasa, Cracow2001.

• Stan wojenny w Małopolsce w relacjach świadków, Cracow 2002.

• Polska. Historia 1943–2003, Cracow 2003.

• Stan wojenny w Małopolsce. Relacje i dokumenty, Cracow2005.

• Ofiara Sprawiedliwych. Rodzina Ulmów – oddali życie za ratowanie Żydów, Cracow 2004.

• Droga do niepodległości. Solidarność 1980–2005, Warsaw 2005.

• Królowo Polski, przyrzekamy! Jasnogórskie Śluby Narodu Polskiego,Cracow2006.

• Kronika komunizmu w Polsce, Cracow 2006.

• Zakopiańska „Solidarność” 1980–1989, Cracow, Zakopane 2006.

• Po dwóch stronach barykady, Cracow 2007.

• Kościół w godzinie próby 1945–1989,Cracow 2008.

• Kronika komunizmu w Polsce, Cracow 2009.

• Zaczęło się w Polsce 1939–1989, Warsaw 2009.

• W cieniu czerwonej gwiazdy. Zbrodnie sowieckie na Polakach (1917–1956), Cracow 2010.

• Jestem św. Andrzej Bobola. Zacznijcie mnie czcić, Cracow2016.