Since its inception in 2021, the Pilecki Institute has been presenting the Witold Pilecki International Award annually across three categories: scholarly historical books, historical reportage, and a special award. This year, 60 titles from 35 publishers, both Polish and international, were entered into the competition.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is
a partner of the award.
The books submitted for this year’s awards showcase a remarkable level of academic rigor and literary craft, addressing themes that resonate deeply with history and Polish society. The publications recognised with awards stand out due to their innovative approach, well-documented conclusions, and unwavering commitment to the truth.
2025 NOMINATIONS
On 8 October 2025, a meeting of the Witold Pilecki Award Committee took place, attended by Piotr Cywiński, PhD, Prof. Padraic Kenney, Krzysztof Kosior, Damian Markowski, PhD, Aneta Prymaka-Oniszk, and Prof. Pierre-Frédéric Weber. During the meeting, the nominees for this year’s award were selected.
In the category of “Scientific History Book,” the Award Committee reviewed and selected the best monographs that explore the experiences of Central and Eastern European countries confronting totalitarianism in the XX century, with particular focus on Poland. This year, five publications were nominated:
• Michał Bilewicz, Traumaland. Polacy w cieniu przeszłości (Poles in the Shadow of the Past), MANDO Publishing House / WAM Publishing House;
• Tomasz Ceran, Zbrodnia pomorska 1939. Początek ludobójstwa niemieckiego
w okupowanej Polsce (The Pomeranian Crime of 1939: The Beginning of German Genocide in Occupied Poland), Institute of National Remembrance;
• Piotr M. Majewski, Brzydkie słowo na „k”. Rzecz o kolaboracji (The Ugly Word Beginning with “K”: A Story of Collaboration), Krytyka Polityczna Publishing House;
• Dariusz Węgrzyn, „Internirung”. Deportacja mieszkańców Górnego Śląska do ZSRS na tle wywózek niemieckiej ludności cywilnej z terenu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej do sowieckich łagrów pod koniec II wojny światowej (“Internirung”. Deportation of Upper Silesia Residents to the USSR Against the Background of the Deportation of German Civilians from Central and Eastern Europe to Soviet Labour Camps at the End of World War II), Institute of National Remembrance;
• Rafał Wnuk, Sławomir Poleszak, Niezłomni czy realiści? Polskie podziemie antykomunistyczne bez patosu (Unbroken or Realists? The Polish Anti-Communist Underground Without Pathos), Literackie Publishing House.
In the “Historical Reportage” category, the Award Committee recognised books that offer readers a captivating account of the experiences of Central and Eastern European countries grappling with totalitarianism in the 20th century, with particular emphasis on Poland. Four publications were nominated for this recognition:
• Patrycja Dołowy, Pęknięte lustro. Próba portretu Adama Czerniakowa (The Broken Mirror: An Attempt at a Portrait of Adam Czerniakow), Filtry Publishing House;
• Grzegorz Gauden, Polska sprawa Dreyfusa. Kto próbował zabić prezydenta (The Polish Dreyfus Affair. Who Tried to Kill the President), Agora Publishing House;
• Emil Marat, Bratny. Hamlet rozstrzelany (Bratny. Hamlet Executed, Czarne Publishing House);
• Michał Przeperski, Dziki Wschód. Transformacja po polsku 1986–1993 (The Wild East. Transformation in Polish 1986–1993), Literackie Publishing House.
In the “Special Award” category, the Award Committee sought to recognise publications that shed light on the criminal activities of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes in the modern world. These works recount the harrowing experiences of populations impacted by wars and armed conflicts (commonly referred to as war reporting) and vocally condemn instances of deliberate and persistent human rights violations. Three notable publications were nominated:
• Maria Buko, Drugie pokolenie obozowe. Pamięć i doświadczenie potomków polskich więźniów niemieckich nazistowskich obozów koncentracyjnych (The Second Camp Generation. The Memory and Experience of the Descendants of Polish Prisoners of German Nazi Concentration Camps), UMK Scientific Publishing House;
• Eristavi Maksym, Russian Colonialism 101. How to Occupy a Neighbor and Get Away with It. An Illustrated Guide, IST Publishing;
• Serhii Plokhy, Rosja–Ukraina. Największe starcie XXI wieku (Russia–Ukraine: The Greatest Clash of the XXI Century), Znak Horyzont Publishing House).
The winners of this competition will be announced at the Witold Pilecki International Award Gala in December 2025.
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