For over 15 years, one of the greatest concerns of the Institute of National Remembrance has been to keep alive the memory of the life of previous Polish generations in Poland and abroad. We make our best effort to save these histories from oblivion and from damage,, forming part of our own history and written down in different forms, while systematically extending our archive by collecting, storing, examining, protecting and making available old documents. Once accumulated in drawers, cellars or attics, these often forgotten documents, after being handed over to the collection of the Archive of the Institute of National Remembrance, enable us to build the archive.
We share the knowledge we diligently extend with journalists, scientists, and above all with young people, whom we want to bring closer to history; an unpopular approach with young people, even with relatively recent events. Following these values, the Team of the Archive of the Institute of National Remembrance came up with a project called “An Archive Full of Remembrance”, the aim of which is to get documents of important events in the history of Poland out of households’ ‘archives’, including those illustrating formerly unknown or forgotten histories. Therefore, we would like to kindly ask you to donate your ‘archives’ and thus to join us in filling in the blank pages of our history.
We are particularly interested in documents, photographs, mementoes and accounts, as well as any type of material (letters, memoirs, diaries, speeches, lectures, films, audio and video cassettes, forms, or documents) illustrating the history of the Polish Nation in the years 1939-1990. Once given to the archival collection of the Institute of National Remembrance, your private collections will form part of the national archival collection and will be protected by law. They will be stored perpetually and with due diligence, having been formerly properly examined and appropriately secured. The information they contain will survive to the benefit of future generations.
For more information about the project and on how to donate materials, please go to:
https://archiwumpamieci.pl
With regard to the project “An Archive Full of Remembrance”, we are particularly interested in gaining original documents in authentic forms; however, we do realize that the materials which fall under the scope of the Institute’s activity are often the only legacy from close family members and represent a significant personal value to you. In such cases, we will just ask you to make them available to the Institute of National Remembrance for making a copy. Every time, we draw up a protocol to confirm the hand-over of private collections to the Archive of the Institute of National Remembrance. It is signed by the donor and a representative of the Institute of National Remembrance. In the case the materials handed over are subject to the protection of copyright, we execute a licence contract. The employees of the Institute of National Remembers are responsible for preparing a licence contract, while its provisions are consulted with the donor. We treat each and every person who contacts us individually and we agree the conditions for handing over the collection separately.
We are looking forward to closely cooperating with you in each area. In the case that existing documents do not fall under the scope of the Institute’s activity, we will make every possible effort to indicate an institution which will secure your collection. We will publish information about the material we collect in the archival guide and in one of the largest Polish systems of archival records “Digital Archives” so that they may be universally accessible and efficiently used as teaching aids.