‘LIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE’ AWARDED TO
DR. PIOTR SETKIEWICZ – HEAD OF THE MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER
Auschwitz Memorial
"Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz is, without a doubt, the best specialist in the world on the history of the Auschwitz camp," said Dr. Piotr Cywiński. "Our entire current education, exhibitions, but also the narration of the guides and publications owe him a great deal. Personally, I consider Piotr Setkiewicz one of the historians who have had the greatest impact on my own research and historical work. And I know I am not alone in this feeling," added the director.
"I am truly honored. This is a special award for, as I understand, the entirety of my many years of research work. I am grateful not only for this distinction but above all for the continuous support and assistance from colleagues from the Museum, especially from the Research Center, with whom I share ideas, suggestions, and pointers to archival sources daily," said Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz.
"I feel that thanks to this daily work, we manage to debunk the prevailing opinions that today it is no longer possible to write anything new and valuable about the history of Auschwitz. We certainly have not had the last word here yet," he emphasized.
Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz has been associated with the Auschwitz Museum since 1988. He completed his historical studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and in 1999 at the University of Silesia in Katowice, he defended his doctoral dissertation titled IG Farben - Werk Auschwitz 1941–1945.
He began working at the Museum in the Research Department. From 2001 to 2007, he was the head of the Archives. In 2008, he became the head of the Research Department, which was renamed the Research Center in 2014. His main areas of research include issues related to the employment of prisoners in the German industry and the history of Auschwitz sub-camps.
Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz is the author of dozens of articles on the history of Auschwitz and several publications, including "From the History of the IG Farben Werk Auschwitz Camps 1941-1945", "Private Lives of the SS in Auschwitz", and "I Feel No Guilt... Testimonies of SS Members from the Auschwitz Camp Staff in the Trial before the Supreme National Tribunal in Krakow."
Dr. Setkiewicz is also a co-author of new studies analyzing the beginnings of the Auschwitz, and Birkenau camps, the beginnings of the extermination, and the expansion of the camp based on source materials. He also led a team of Museum historians in developing the new „Chronology of KL Auschwitz."
Dr. Setkiewicz is also a co-author of the scenario for the New Main Exhibition of the Museum, as well as the author of the scenario for the New Polish Exhibition. As the Museum's main expert, he participated in creating the scenario for the exhibition "Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away." which has traveled to many places around the world and was prepared in cooperation with Musealia.
He is also the author of many online lessons for the Museum and one of the experts on the "On Auschwitz" podcast.
The Light of Remembrance is an award established and granted by the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum for outstanding contributions to education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. It honors individuals involved in maintaining and conveying the memory of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.
Previous recipients of this award include Professor Władysław Bartoszewski, Krystyna Oleksy, Avner Shalev, Serge Klarsfeld, Luis Ferreiro, and Romani Rose.
Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz, the head of the Research Center at the Auschwitz Museum, has been honored with the "Light of Remembrance"—the highest award of the Auschwitz Memorial. The award was presented to him by the director of the Auschwitz Museum,
Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński.
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