Piotr Cywinski

Piotr M.A. Cywiński
Piotr M.A. Cywiński, PhD
Born	(1972-04-16) 16 April 1972 (age 45) Warsaw
Nationality	Polish
Occupation	historian, director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, president of Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation
Awards	Golden Cross of Merit (Poland), Knight's Cross of Polonia Restituta (Poland), Officer's Cross of Polonia Restituta (Poland), "Bene Merito" Honour (Poland), Golden Order for Achievements in the Penitentiary Work (Poland), Award for Human Rights' Protection (Poland), Silver Gloria Artis Award (Poland), Knight of Order of the Crown (Belgium), Knight of the Order of St. Charles (Monaco), Officer's Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece), Knight's Cross Order of Academic Palms (France)

Piotr M. A. Cywiński (born 16 April 1972 in Warsaw) is a professional historian and Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, active participant and often initiator in the Polish-Jewish and Christian-Jewish dialogue, and an ecumenist devoted to reconciliation of the various denominations among the cultures of the borderlands.

Born in 1972 he spent his early childhood in Warsaw. Between 1982 and 1993 Piotr Cywiński lived in Switzerland and France as a result of his father's, Bohdan Cywiński's, political exile.

Cywiński graduated from the University of Humanities in Strasbourg (1993) as historian of the Middle Ages, and the Catholic University of Lublin (1995). He obtained his PhD degree at the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) in 2001.

In 1996–2000 Piotr Cywiński served as vice-president, and for following decade (2000 - 2010) the President of Club of Catholic Intelligentsia (KIK) in Warsaw. Since 2010 Board Member of KIK. In 2002 he co-founded the St. Adalbert's Forum, which he has been chairing until January 2010. He co-organized the Congresses of Gniezno in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2004 Cywiński was elected vice-president (and regional president for Europe) of the global federation of Catholic intellectuals Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC for the mandate 2004-2008.

In the years 2000 - 2006 he served as Secretary of International Council of Auschwitz Memorial Site. On 12 June 2006 Cywinski has received a nomination for director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which position he assumed on 1 September that year, replacing Jerzy Wróblewski, who was the Museum's director for many years. Co-creator of International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust and vice president of the Center's council. In 2009 co-created the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and since then serves as president of the foundation. Since 2009 member of the Museums' Council to the Minister of Culture (mandate IV and V), and in 2010 appointed for the 4-year-long mandate as member of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites. He also serves as vice-president of the Council of Museum of the Independence Traditions in Łódź, and as member of the first mandate of the Council, later - since 2012 - as member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of World War II in Gdańsk. He is a member of the Council of Museum Gross-Rosen in Rogoźnica.