Foundation Bronisław Geremek Centre
Summary of activities in 2011
Bronisław Geremek Centre operated in three areas in 2011: promotion of the heritage and the
person of Bronisław Geremek, foreign policy and education. In the last year the Foundation
continued its programs started in 2010 - publishing activities (preparation of Bronisław Geremek’s
set of texts on Europe), a series of debates to prepare the Polish presidency in the Council of the
European Union, foreign policy international conferences dedicated to the memory of Bronisław
Geremek, modern history workshops for young people and seminars in the foundation’s reading
room for the academic community. The Foundation also launched new projects - a series of open
debates on human rights, a series of debates on the future of Europe, a program of PolishLithuanian cooperation, Bronisław Geremek’s scholarships for students of humanities and a
nationwide educational program for students and teachers "Poland in the twentieth century."
PROMOTION OF THE HERITAGE AND THE PERSON OF BRONISŁAW GEREMEK - Archive,
Reading Room
1. Seminars In the Reading Room
Series of seminars under the title "Man of exclusion" were started in the Reading Room of the
Foundation in 2011. These series included two meetings in the headquarters of the foundation.
1) The inaugural lecture was delivered March 1st by prof. Henryk Samsonowicz. - For prof.
Bronisław Geremek, the starting point was the observation that formed class structure is
accompanied by the existence of marginal areas, a kind of no man's land, to which emigrants
from different social classes temporarily or permanently migrate.
2) On May 11th prof. Magdalena Środa continued the topic of exclusion by referring to the
ethical dimensions of the issue. In the lecture "Attitudes towards foreigners", she noted
among other things that the problem of alienation is the reverse problem of our own identity.
Both lectures were recorded by the Foundation for Rural Development and are available in the
multimedia library on the website of the foundation.
In 2011, series of completed seminars "Poland, that is province?" were written and published in a
booklet form. The brochures are available in the reading room, and are distributed among the
partners of the foundation as well.
2. Foundation’s archive resources
In the reading room of the Foundation, catalogued and released archive collections of prof. Geremek
can be used. Both library collections of the professor, as well as his handwritten texts, notes,
photographs, correspondence, and audio and video recordings can be found here. Reading room is
available on weekdays during working hours of the foundation.
In 2011 classification works in the archive were continued.
Nearly 3,000 books have been catalogued so far. The catalogue is available on site in the reading
room and also on the Internet at katalog.geremek.pl. The inventory can also be accessed via the
Mazovian Library Information System, which groups all collections of the libraries from the Mazovian
Province, and via the Digital Mazovia - Mazovian Regional Information System.
45 archival boxes of professor’s private material were selected from the resources, according to the
type and the overall theme (including among others the following topics: texts of prof. Geremek,
texts of other authors, materials and research articles, the "Solidarity", press releases, conferences,
scientific activities, Freedom Union, European Parliament, biographical materials, official
correspondence, unofficial correspondence). The materials are then grouped and catalogued
according to more specific categories. Thus the described documentation is now in 190 files.
Materials such as: index cards, photographs, diplomas and prizes have been classified as well.
The Democratic Party has recently sent photographs documenting the activities of Bronisław
Geremek in The Freedom Union.
In the last year 13 people used the collections of the Foundation, primarily for scientific purposes.
Research topics include: The conflict in Kosovo, the issue of provincialism, Bronisław Geremek's
political activity in The Freedom Union, activities as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
3. Institutional Cooperation
Broniłsław Geremek Centre takes part in the program of Senate of the Republic of Poland "Archives
of the Breakthrough", which aims to digitise the documentation connected with the Polish
transformation in 1989-1991. Collection of documents of The Freedom Union, which the Foundation
disposes of, have also been catalogued and ranked according to the objectives of the program. List of
all documentation submitted by the institutions and individuals to "Archives of the Breakthrough"
shall be available on a dedicated website by the end of first quarter of 2012.
Under the "Archives of the Breakthrough", machine recordings as well as materials on magnetic
media, which belong to the foundation, will be transferred to digital media.
In addition, Prof. Bronisław Geremek Centre, as part of the archival and library activities, established
contact with the following institutions: the European Solidarity Centre, Wszechnica.org.pl, Institute
of History, the Archives of Polish Radio, General Weekly (pol. Tygodnik Powszechny), Library of the
French Institute, Institute of Information Science and Book Studies, University of Warsaw,
In the last year, works on the collections of the Foundation were supported by two interns of
Warsaw University and volunteers.
4. Publishing projects
1) Together with the publisher UNIVERSITAS and with financial support from the College of
Europe, we are currently preparing publication of Bronisław Geremek, the selection of texts
on Europe. Volume entitled "Our Europe" will be released in mid-2012. The choice of texts
was preceded by a thorough query in the collection of foundations, libraries and online
resources. Introduction to the book is being prepared by Aleksander Smolar.
2) In 2011 the foundation prepared an issue of first publication of the Bronisław Geremek
Library series. In 2012, there shall be released a volume which is a collection of texts of
Hungarian intellectual Istvan Bibó.
3) Geremek Foundation supported Vaclav Havel's book "The Power of the Powerless and
Other Essays" which was issued by Agora in November. The Volume has a wide selection of
publications of the eminent Czech journalist, intellectual, writer, politician.
4) The Foundation also co-financed the publication of the book of Łukasz Adamski "Progressive
Nationalist", which is a biography of Mykhaylo Hruszewskie, Ukrainian historian, leader of
the Ukrainian national movement, and the first leader of independent Ukraine.
The publication was prepared in the Institute of History at the Polish Academy of Sciences
under the guidance of prof. George Borejsz. The author was a student of prof. Geremek.
His work consists in the study nation-building processes in Central and Eastern Europe, the
historical memory of the Ukrainians and Belarusians, and the idea of European federalism
was inspired by the patron of the foundation.
5. Other activities related to commemoration of the achievements of prof. Geremek

Electronic Bulletin (Newsletter). In December 2011 the Foundation began publishing
a newsletter which is sent to persons interested in its operations. The bulletin provides
information on upcoming events such as: conferences, debates, and links to archived
information and recordings of meetings. Additionally, the Newsletter has been enhanced
with a platform popularizing the person and the thought prof. Bronisław Geremek.
It includes public statements or sections of patron’s text as well as information from
"The Life of Professor Bronisław Geremek” which is in line with the date of the bulletin
number issue, illustrating his public activity for the day.

A representative of the Geremek Foundation participated in the inauguration ceremony
of the Bronisław Geremek cathedral founded by European institutions in the College of
Europe in Natolin. Warsaw, 13th April 2011.

6th June 2011, at 2nd anniversary of the Foundation, there was a gala evening held
dedicated to Bronisław Geremek, which was attended by partners and friends of the
foundation. Warsaw.

A representative of the Foundation attended the Bronisław Geremek Community of
Democracies prize award ceremony. This year's winner was the Belarusian opposition, on
behalf of which writer and social activist Vladimir Nieklajeu collected the award. Vilnius,
1st July 2011.

8th October 2011 in the premises of the Foundation, there was a sculpture-portrait of
Bronisław Geremek unveiled, which was a gift of a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts
in Warsaw, Mr. Tomasz Górnicki.
FOREIGN POLICY
1. Series „New Decade, New Europe”.
In 2010 the foundation organized a series of debates "New Decade, New Europe". Series preparing
the Polish presidency of the EU Council, was conducted in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert
Foundation and the French Cultural Center and La Francophonie Studies in Poland. At the beginning
of 2011 we completed the series with a meeting:
1) „The European Union budget in times of crisis." Introductory lecture was delivered by
Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget Janusz Lewandowski. Alain Lamassoure,
Dietmar Nietan i Danuta Hübner participated in the discussion as well.
2) The debate took place on 24th January 2011 at the Warsaw University Library and was open.
The meeting was attended by about 130 people - including government representatives, MPs,
representatives of the embassies of European countries, as well as experts from research
centers and universities.
2. Lemkin Debates
In 2011 a series of debates on the borderline of international politics and human rights was initiated.
The patron of the series of meetings is Raphael Lemkin - a prominent lawyer, author of the term
"genocide" and co-founder of the draft of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide signed on 9th December 1948.
- This situation is at least embarrassing that such a character is not present in encyclopedias and
compendiums on the subject of international law. I would wish that a monograph about him was
published in Poland - said prof. Adam Daniel Rotfeld, at the opening of the first debate. The purpose
of the meetings is to discuss the functioning of the concept of human rights in contemporary
international politics.
Within the framework of the series, three meetings were held:

I Lemin Debate – “The concept of genocide in modern international politics. Examples of
Turkey and Rwanda "- 27th January 2011. „Introductory lecture”: Adam Daniel Rotfeld.
Discussion participants: Marek Kornat, Halil Berktay (Turkey), Assumpta Mugiraneza
(Rwanda), moderated by : Konstanty Gebert.

II Lemin Debate „What is left of the right to humanitarian intervention?”–24th February 2011.
Panelists: Roman Kuźniar, Chantal Delsol (France), Wiktor Osiatyński, moderated by :
Konstanty Gebert.

III Lemin Debate „ Ethics and responsibility in the actions of great powers. An example of
secret CIA prisons and human rights violations in the Russian Federation.” – 16th May 2011.
Among the panellists there were: Olga Bobrova (Nowaja Gazeta - Russia), Adam Bodnar
(Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights) and Amrit Singh (USA - Open Society Justice
Initiative).
Lemkin Debates held in Warsaw University Library were open to the public. The meetings were
attended by 150 to 190 listeners, including students and university lecturers, representatives of
NGOs dealing with human rights, journalists
3. European Debates
Launched in 2011, a series of debates focused on issues concerning the future of Europe. The first
meeting was devoted to Europe's collective memory - as Bronisław Geremek used to say – there is no
way to build Europe and European identity without talking about history. Another debates were an
attempt to answer questions related to socio- civilization challenges, such as demographics and
multiculturalism, and the shape of Europe after the crisis.

I European Debate "Common European Remembrance - myth or reality?" – 14th March.
Participants in the discussion: Aleksander Smolar, Paul Thibaud (France), Yaroslav Hrytsak
(Ukraine), moderated by : Jaroslaw Kurski

II European Debate „Who's afraid of a multicultural Europe? "- 27th June.
Participants in the discussion: Bassam Tibi (Syria), Alain Finkielkraut (France), Monika petal,
moderated by Jaroslaw Kurski

III European Debate:
What Europe after the crisis? – 17th November.
Panelists: Lajos Bokros (Hungary), Stanislaw Gomulka, Maciej Witucki, Maciej Witucki, Rusin
Philippe (France), moderated by Adam Krzeminski.
Prof. Bronisława Geremka Centre began a series of debates about language in public discourse.

I Debate: "Newspeak and the language of political correctness ", during which Michal
Głowinski, Dominique Wolton (France) and Joanna Nowicka discussed, and the conversation
was led by Agnieszka Graff.
At the 30th anniversary of the introduction of martial law in Poland, the Geremek Foundation
together with the Institute for French Studies at Warsaw University and the French Cultural Center
and La Francophonie Studies in Poland organized a debate "13.XII in the eyes of the Poles and the
French. There is no freedom without solidarity”. The meeting was attended by Konstanty Gebert,
Marcel Grignard (France), Bernard Guetta (France) and Adam Michnik.
4. Annual Foreign Policy Conference
International conference dedicated to prof. Bronisław Geremek, was devoted this year to the
relations of the European Union and Russia, "Russia and the European Union: What Unites us, what
Divides us?". Held in Warsaw, 21st -22nd September.
The purpose of the annual conference is provide a forum for debate on key topics concerning the
future of Europe and its foreign policy, during which prominent intellectuals, analysts,
representatives of politics, as well as scholars and friends of Professor. Geremek meet.
This year, the discussion took place under four thematic sessions:

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Modernization of Russia and transatlantic community;
A new security architecture in Eurasia;
EU and Russia in a search for a new strategy;
Europe, Russia and the external world.
The conference was attended by many prominent experts, including: Igor Ivanov, former Foreign
Minister of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Dynkin, director of the Moscow IMEMO and advisor to
Russian Prime Minister, Hans Blix, former Foreign Minister of Sweden, Robert Legvold, director of the
Euro -Atlantic Security Initiative, Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs. The discussion
was moderated by: prof. Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Andrzej Olechowski, Borys Tarasyuk (Ukraine), Dr.
Paul Świeboda.
The conference, As in the previous year, was held at the Palace on the Island in the Royal Łazienki
Park in Warsaw. The event was of an expert nature and was directed to the group of specialists in the
subject.
Parts of the two-day debate and interviews with participants of the conference were published in a
special supplement to Gazeta Wyborcza on 29th September 2011.
The project was completed with support from the College of Europe in Natolin.
For more detailed conference program see Annex.
5. Dialogue between nations: Polish-Lituanian project
Implementing the statutory obligation of "dialogue between nations", the Geremek Foundation
created a Polish-Lithuanian program, under which study visits were organized for influential
journalists from both countries in Poland and Lithuania.
On 19-23 September the Lithuanian media representatives were visiting the Polish think tanks, media
and representatives of public administration, they met among others, with Professor Tomasz Nałęcz,
advisor to the President, John Widacki, former Polish Ambassador to Lithuania, Jacek Kucharczyk
head of the Institute of Public Affairs and Slawomir Debski, director of the newly established Centre
for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding, they also attended the conference "Russia and the
European Union: what unites us, what divides us?".
On 28th November – 1st December representatives of Polish Television TVN 24, Gazeta Wyborcza,
Rzeczpospolita, Polityka, Krytyka Polityczna (Political Criticism), EurActiv portal and the monthly
magazine Liberte! took part in a study visit in Lithuania. They met, among others Prime Minister
Andrius Kubilius, advisors to the president Dalia Grybauskaite, representatives of organizations and
the Polish media as well as Lithuanian journalists.
EDUCATION
1. Of the contemporary into history – Prof. Bronisław Geremek historical workshops
The program Of the contemporary in history the prof. Bronisław Geremek historical workshops, was
continued and extended in 2011. The aim of it is to support young people to develop interest in
history, especially recent history and the promotion of historical knowledge, as an important tool for
understanding the contemporary world. It is a response to inadequate consideration of
contemporary history in school education. We also wish to enable young people with interests in the
humanities to advance the knowledge through challenging reading and discussion among peers.
The core of the project are interactive classes conducted by the historian-educator. The project is
addressed to young people with an appetite for knowledge and motivation to earn it, coming from
families whose financial situation does not go beyond the national average. In the course of the
project care of junior high school students is included , offering them a series of classes supported by
a monthly scholarship of 200 zł per month.
School year 2010/2011
Second and third grade students of Warsaw secondary schools continued their education started in
the fall of 2010. Older pupils followed a program of the European Workshop (sample topics courses:
Germany - the enfant terrible of Europe in the twentieth century?, Founding Fathers - why did they
decide to unite Europe?, Sweden - the welfare state, the future of our civilization?), the younger had
classes of the global profile (such as: Iran - a threat to the world?, Japan - the road to modernity,
Black Africa - decolonization and its consequences).
In the spring of 2011 public figures were invited to participate in the project as speakers-witnesses of
the history.

19th March 2011, students took part in a meeting with MEP Róża Thun.

16th April historical workshop participants met with the political scientist Aleksander
Smolarem.
The 2010/2011 edition of the program ended on 17th June with a ceremony in the Royal Łazienki
Park. The students presented their teachers, parents and colleagues with the results of a yearly work
- selected presentations concerned multireligiosity in France and the Greek crisis. Books with a
dedication were handed over to the participants by the President's wife Anna Komorowska.
This edition was attended by 19 students.
Six-minute film about the program was made.
School year 2011/2012
In the current school year, the Foundation launched a new edition of the program, expanded by an
additional group of students from first grade secondary schools.
A group secondary school students participate in workshops, the program which relates to important
issues of contemporary Polish history which are the subject of public debate. As in the case of
workshops of the global and European group, activities are not systematic lectures on the events of
the twentieth century, but are a form of a discussion seminar on modern Polish history (eg, Was the
Second Republic of Poland a tolerant country? Ethnic and religious relations, Polish attitudes towards
Holocaust, "Round Table" - or could it have been otherwise?). 32 students joined this edition of the
program.
During the ceremonial inauguration on 14th October, scholarship holders listened to a lecture on
Bronisław Geremek among others.
On 21-23 October scholarship holders participated in an integration trip to Lublin, where they visited
the Zamoyski Museum, Cultural Centre "Grodzka Gate," Trinitarian Tower, Cracow Gate, Lublin
Castle, and the Gallery of Socialist Realism in Kozłówka.
The program will continue until June 2012. In the spring of 2012 the youth will take part in the trip to
Strasbourg. As in the previous editions of the program, participants shall receive a monthly grant of
200 zł.
2. Poland in the twentieth century – Prof. Bronisław Geremek national historical workshops.
In October 2011 the foundation launched a new educational program. As in the case of the "Of the
contemporary into history ", its goal is to develop interest in recent Polish history.
The local communities often lack an interesting educational offer for both young people and
teachers, therefore the project is intended for individuals outside of Warsaw. First grade pupils of
secondary schools from across Poland as well as their history teachers can take part in it.
The course for both students and teachers is focused on the important issues of twentieth-century
Polish history. Classes will have a diverse form, from workshops and debates to the meetings with
historians, participants in the events. The program will include among others a walk the paths of
multiculturalism through Warsaw, visiting the Museum of Warsaw Uprising, debate with the
oppositionists from the communist era. Teachers will participate in workshops using German
propaganda posters of World War II, communist film chronicles, an archive of oral history.
Meetings will be held in Warsaw as a kind of weekend seminars: 10-11 December 2011, March 1011, 2012, 21-22 April 2012 and 19-20 May 2012. Visits to Warsaw will be enriched by a cultural
program (theater performances, concerts, etc..)
Information about the project entered the schools through a network of contacts of the Centre for
Civic Education and by one of the project partners of Czernecki Education Foundation. Selection of
participants was made on the basis of the completed questionnaire and - for students - a short essay
on modern Polish history. 20 students and 13 teachers representing their schools participate in the
project.
A detailed script of the conducted workshops for teachers and students is available at the
foundation’s website . Classes are held in cooperation with the Warsaw Centre for Social Innovation
Education and Training and the History Meeting House.
3. Bronisław Geremek scholarships for humanities students
Beginning from the academic year 2011/2012, Geremek Foundation together with the PZU
Foundation, the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the Foundation for Educational Enterprise
launched a new scholarship program aimed at students of the humanities. Every year, the most
talented participants in the Bridging Scholarship Program will be funded up to 10 scholarships of up
to 10 thousand zł. Bronisław Geremek Foundation joined this way the coalition of institutions and
companies supporting talented youth in accessing higher education.
The Bronisław Geremek Scholarship may applied by persons who attend third and fourth year
courses of: history, political science, European studies, sociology, psychology, philosophy as well as
journalism and social communication. One of the important criteria for admission to the program is
to provide an essay on one of three topics: 1) the Polish foreign policy after 1989, 2) Poland in the
European Union, 3) the democratic opposition in the communist and transition period.
The expression of these issues should take into account the role, thought and achievements of
Professor Bronisław Geremek.
Since the autumn of this year 11 people from across Poland receive prof. Bronisław Geremek
Scholarships. Ceremonial inauguration of the program took place on 3rd November in the Royal
Łazienki Park in Warsaw.
4. Other educational activities
Over the past two years, prof. Bronisław Geremek Centre was involved in organizing two meetings
for teachers.

On 4th March there was a meeting held for history and social studies teachers from primary,
middle high schools and secondary schools in Warsaw. Among others, the cooperation with the
foundation, use of materials from the archives of prof. Geremek were discussed at the meeting.

On 29th November teachers of history and educational project coordinators gathered in order
to give an opinion of the common European history textbook. The text was agreed by the
teachers from Poland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, as the European Commission project. The
leader of the project was the French organization Maison de l'Europe, on the Polish side, the
Centre for International Relations dealt with the coordination. Geremek Foundation
recommended the Polish participant of the project and participated in the evaluation of the final
text of the book.

On 5th April in the Community Secondary School No. 7 at. Karmelicka 26 in Warsaw, there was a
meeting of youth and teachers with Adam Michnik focusing on the book "Bronisław Geremek:
the voice in Europe". The talks concerned the figure and achievements of Bronisław Geremek
and a publication published in 2010 which contains texts of the Professor and the memories of
his relatives and associates, among others: Jerzy Buzek, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, Henry
Samsonowicz. The book "Bronisław Geremek: Voice in Europe" was published by Universitas
with the support of Geremek Foundation. During the meeting, there was also a plaque unveiled
which is dedicated to the patron of the school.
OTHER STATUTORY ACTIVITIES OF THE FOUNDATION

Geremek Foundation became involved in collecting signatures for an appeal for the
establishment of the International Day for the Righteous. This initiative, was launched by the
Italian organization Comitato per la Foresta dei Giusti and aims to commemorate people who
have helped to preserve human dignity and life in the totalitarian regimes. If the initiative
gains the support of the European Parliament, the Day of the Righteous would be an
opportunity for education and promotion of values such as tolerance, courage, respect for
others etc.

Geremek Foundation is engaged in the creation of the European Movement in Poland.
European Movement present in most European countries, is a federation of institutions
acting for the deepening of European integration. During the international federal members
congress of the European Movement (25-26 November), a coalition of Polish NGOs collected
signatures on documents to the National Court in order to register the European Movement
Poland association.
FUNDRISING
As in last year, the Geremek Foundation sought funding statutory activities. The existing partners and
sponsors the foundation new ones have joined: Procter and Gamble, Eltel Networks, the College of
Europe.