Jewish Historical Institute

The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute (ŻIH) is an important institution based in Warsaw, founded on October 1, 1947, as a result of the transformation of the Central Jewish Historical Commission. It is housed in the reconstructed building of the former Institute of Judaic Studies at Tłomackie Street, which was designed by Edward Eber and put into use in 1947. ŻIH plays a key role in researching the history and culture of Jews in Poland, focusing on archiving documents and collecting materials related to history, including the Ringelblum Archive, which contains invaluable accounts from the World War II period. The institute has initiated numerous publications, such as the quarterly "Kwartalnik Historii Żydów" (Quarterly Journal of Jewish History), as well as various books and academic studies, including works based on archival materials. ŻIH also serves educational functions by organizing lectures, meetings, and cultural events, such as the "March of Remembrance." It houses one of the largest Judaic libraries in Poland, with over 80,000 volumes, and extremely valuable museum collections, including works of art, Judaica, and documents from the Holocaust era. The permanent exhibition "What We Were Unable to Shout Out to the World" displays original documents from the Ringelblum Archive, and the institute regularly organizes thematic exhibitions that commemorate the history of Jews in Poland. Thus, the activities of ŻIH are essential for preserving the memory of Polish Jews and their contributions to the culture and history of the country, as well as for academic research in the field of Jewish studies. An interesting fact is that the Ringelblum Archive, inscribed on the UNESCO "Memory of the World" list, was discovered after the war and became the foundation for research on the Holocaust.