journals as Le Figaro or Le Monde constituted for me, a teenager at that time, a very important lesson, which I strongly appreciate after all those years”.
“This afternoon, France suggests us to add to the three fundamental values of the Republic: liberty, equality and fraternity, two principles of the Legion: honour and homeland. This suggestion matches current hard times”, he added.
Serge Klarsfeld, Vice President of Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah together with his wife Beate wrote that they were pleased that "outstanding merits of Piotr Cywiński were appreciated by France". Avner Shalev, Yad Vashem Director, emphasized that this distinction constitutes „the confirmation of deserved international status of the committed, talented and efficient leader in the field of the memory of Holocaust”, while Sara Bloomfield, Director of the Holocaust Museum in Washington emphasized that this award constitutes “a huge and fully deserved honour”
Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński spent part of his studies in France. Since 2011 he is the Member of the Board of the Maison d'Izieu Memorial. He took part in many conferences in France and is the author of several publications published in this country.
In 2018, over 69 thousand visitors came from France to the Auschwitz Memorial. France is also one of the state-donators of the Perpetual Capital of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, the purpose of which is to preserve the authenticity of the remnants of German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. French support amounted to 5 million euros.
The Order of the Legion of Honour constitutes the highest French award of merit, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and awarded for merits to France, among others in the field of military activity, culture and science. Among the Poles awarded with the Legion of Honour there are for example Jacek Kuroń, Janina Ochojska, Andrzej Wajda, Andrzej Seweryn and Marek Edelman. In 2012 Jerzy Wróblewski, former long-term director of the Auschwitz Museum, became the Cavalier of the Legion of Honour. The order’s motto is Honneur et Patrie – Honour and Homeland.
Piotr Cywiński, Director of the Museum, was already awarded with numerous state distinctions. In 2006 he received from President Lech Kaczyński the Gold Cross of Merit, in 2008 Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and in 2010, Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
In 2012 he was also awarded with the Knight’s Cross of the Belgian Order of the Crown, in 2013 - Knight’s Cross of the Monaco’s Order of Saint-Charles, while in 2014 the Officer’s Cross of the Greek Order of the Phoenix. In 2015 he was bestowed the Knight’s Cross of the French Order of Academic Palms.