Deputy Presidents of the Institute of National Remembrance Krzysztof Szwagrzyk, Ph.D., D.Sc. and Mateusz Szpytma, Ph.D. received today representatives of the Washington Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation with Marion Smith, its executive director. The talks were also attended by David Talbot, the Foundation’s chief of staff, and Brittany Balmer, its director of operations; on behalf of the IPN Agnieszka Jędrzak, head of the Information and International Relations Department, and Przemysław Janiga, an employee of the department, also participated.

The American delegation came to Poland looking for organizations ready to help it carry out its flagship project, i.e. creating the Victims of Communism Memorial Museum in the heart of the American capital. The Institute of National Remembrance, which was a pioneering institution in decommunization efforts in the former Soviet bloc countries, has mission, experience, scope of activity and archives – and all that makes it a natural partner for such an undertaking.

The role of the IPN as an expert institution would consist primarily of supporting the creation of the museum exhibitions, also by providing copies of some of the resources from the IPN Archive (both written and audiovisual sources), assistance in the organization of workshops and conferences, and supplying educational aids.

The proposal was well received by both Deputy Presidents, who were of the opinion that since communist totalitarianism did not have its own Nuremberg, effort should be made to make the society aware of the system’s dangers – and the best way to do this is to establish a museum commemorating the victims.