Professor Bronisław Geremek Centre

The Professor Bronisław Geremek Centre (Polish: Fundacja Centrum im. Profesora Bronisława Geremka, commonly Fundacja Geremka) is a Polish non-profit foundation established in 2008 by the family and friends of Bronisław Geremek — a historian, leading Solidarity activist, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Knight of the Order of the White Eagle, and recipient of the Charlemagne Prize. The foundation operates from Warsaw and works across Poland and Europe. The Centre's mission is to support the development of education, political thought and culture; to strengthen civil society; to shape social attitudes grounded in respect for human rights; to foster dialogue between different communities and nations; and to preserve the memory of Professor Geremek's achievements. It pursues these goals through history seminars for young people, anti-discrimination and global-education workshops, international public debates, and platforms for exchange among researchers, politicians and social activists. It also runs European-themed programmes in cooperation with the European Parliament and the European Commission, and implements projects countering disinformation. Among its flagship programmes are "Edukacja do obywatelskości" (Education for Citizenship), a nationwide project combining civic, climate and media education for secondary-school teachers and students; the European Parliament training for young journalists, aimed at those who want to cover European affairs and EU institutions professionally; and EUSTORY Polska, the Polish edition of the European history competition network EUSTORY, coordinated by the Körber-Stiftung and bringing together initiatives from more than 20 European countries. The 2026 edition of the Polish competition is titled "Moje życie w PRL" (My Life in the Polish People's Republic), encouraging secondary-school students to interview older witnesses of history and explore everyday life before the political transformation. The foundation is a member of the EP Network of Political Houses and Foundations of Great Europeans, run by the European Parliament, and cooperates with organisations sharing its values across Europe. It is the depositary of Professor Geremek's material legacy: memorabilia and his library are displayed at the foundation's office, and by decision of the family and the foundation his archive is made available at the Archiwum Akt Nowych (Modern Records Archive). The Centre also maintains a biographical and documentary portal devoted to Geremek, including sections on his life as a historian, opposition activist and statesman, as well as his articles, books, speeches and awards.

The Professor Bronisław Geremek Centre was founded in 2008 by the family and friends of Professor Bronisław Geremek, the historian, Solidarity activist, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Knight of the Order of the White Eagle and Charlemagne Prize laureate. The foundation was created to honour his legacy and to continue the values he championed: civic responsibility, human rights, European integration and dialogue. Geremek's own biography is central to the foundation's identity. He received his master's degree at the Faculty of History of the University of Warsaw in 1955 and began doctoral studies within the group of historians gathered around Professor Marian Małowist. In 1956 he became a scholarship holder of the Sixth Section of the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris, entering the circle of the "Annales" school and counting Fernand Braudel and Maurice Lombard among his masters. That scholarly formation — focused on economic and social phenomena, the living conditions of ordinary people and long-term change — shaped the intellectual outlook the foundation later sought to transmit. From its Warsaw base the Centre has built a portfolio of educational and civic programmes. It organises history seminars for young people, anti-discrimination and global-education workshops, and international public debates, and it has created a platform for exchange among researchers, politicians and social activists. It runs European-themed programmes in cooperation with the European Parliament and the European Commission and implements projects countering disinformation. Its nationwide "Edukacja do obywatelskości" project links civic, climate and media education for secondary-school teachers and students, while its European Parliament training for young journalists — held for the fifth time by 2026 — prepares participants to cover European affairs and EU institutions professionally. A major strand of the foundation's work is historical education through the EUSTORY network. As an associate member of EUSTORY — a network of history competitions coordinated by the Körber-Stiftung and bringing together initiatives from more than 20 European countries — the Geremek Foundation organises the Polish edition of the competition. The 2026 edition, titled "Moje życie w PRL" (My Life in the Polish People's Republic), invites secondary-school students to talk with the closest witnesses of history and to discover experiences of life in Poland before the political transformation, building intergenerational dialogue and encouraging critical reflection on how the Polish People's Republic is portrayed in popular culture. The idea and substantive coordination of this edition are credited to Dr Piotr Podemski; the competition is co-financed by the Stefan Batory Foundation and realised with the support of the Körber-Stiftung. In September 2026 a Polish delegation — including competition coordinator Oskar Frydrych, Dr Piotr Podemski, jury member and director Katarzyna Bojkowska, and laureates Borys Rogowski and Daniel Pietrzak — took part in the EUSTORY Past Forward Festival in Hamburg, held at the KörberHaus. The foundation is a member of the EP Network of Political Houses and Foundations of Great Europeans, run by the European Parliament, and cooperates with organisations representing the same values across Europe. It is the depositary of Professor Geremek's material legacy: memorabilia and his library are displayed at the foundation's office, and by decision of the family and the foundation his archive is made available at the Archiwum Akt Nowych. The Centre also maintains a biographical portal documenting Geremek's life as a historian, opposition activist and statesman, together with his articles, books, speeches and awards.

• 2026

  Fourth edition of the School of Equal Treatment concluded with a summary conference.

• 2026

  Polish EUSTORY competition edition "Moje życie w PRL" launched; delegation attends EUSTORY Past Forward Festival in Hamburg.

• 2026

  Fifth European Parliament training for young journalists held.

• 2008

  Foundation established by the family and friends of Professor Bronisław Geremek.

A non-profit civic-education foundation preserving the legacy of Bronisław Geremek and promoting human rights, civil society and European dialogue.

• Edukacja do obywatelskości (Education for Citizenship)

  A nationwide project combining civic, climate and media education for secondary-school teachers and students.

• Szkolenie Parlamentu Europejskiego dla młodych dziennikarzy (European Parliament training for young journalists)

  A programme for those who want to work professionally as journalists covering European affairs and EU institutions.

• EUSTORY Polska. Konkurs historyczny (EUSTORY Poland history competition)

  The Polish edition of the EUSTORY European history competition network; the 2026 edition is titled "Moje życie w PRL".

1. 1Fundacja Geremka – official websitegeremek.pl
2. 2Historyk – Fundacja Geremkageremek.pl
3. 3EUSTORY Polska. Konkurs historyczny – Fundacja Geremkageremek.pl
4. 4Byliśmy na EUSTORY Past Forward Festival w Hamburgu! – Fundacja Geremkageremek.pl
5. 5Professor Bronisław Geremek Centre – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Fundacja Centrum im. Profesora Bronisława Geremka – Wikipedia (Polish)pl.wikipedia.org