Krzysztof Ruchniewicz (born Janurary 27, 1967 in Wroclaw) is a Polish historian (ORCID: 0000-0002-6288-2139), Director of the Willy Brandt Centre of German and European Studies, Ordinary Professor, Blogger, Podcaster and Photographer.
Biography
Historical studies at the University of Wroclaw, the University of Saarland (Saarbrücken) and the University of Marburg; master thesis (1991): „Enno Meyer a Polska i Polacy. Z badań nad początkami Wspólnej Komisji Podręcznikowej PRL-RFN'”(„Enno Meyer vis-a-vis Poland and the Poles. The beginnings of the German-Polish Schoolbook Commission”), supervisor: prof. Wojciech Wrzesiński; PhD thesis (2000): 'Warszawa-Berlin-Bonn. Stosunki polityczne w latach 1949-1958′ (Warsaw-Berlin-Bonn. Political relations 1949-1958), supervisor: prof. Wojciech Wrzesiński; professorial degree (habilitation 2007): 'Polskie zabiegi o odszkodowania niemieckie w latach 1944/45-1975′ (Polish policy regarding German compensation payments 1944/45-1975); senior lecturer at the Faculty of History of the Wroclaw University (1991-2002); associate professor at the University of Wroclaw (2009-2013); ordinary professor at the University of Wroclaw (since 2013); director of the Willy Brandt Centre for German and European Studies at the University of Wroclaw (since 2002).
In 2011 was awarded by Mr Bronisław Komorowski, President of the Republic of Poland, with the Gold Cross of Merit (the highest civilian award in Poland) for his contribiutions to the science. In 2019 was honoured with the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his commitment to German-Polish friendship and his scientific work in this field. In 2021, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution and German reunification, he was awarded the medal „Saxony – Land of the Peaceful Revolution” for special contributions to German-Polish relations and civil society commitment.
Research and teaching
- History of Germany and
- German-Polish relations in the 20th century;
- History of European integration;
- History of the Polish in Germany
- Politics of memory;
- Public History and Visual History;
- International textbook research.
Publications (monographs)
- Schauplatz Geschichte. Entdecken und Verstehen in den deutsch-polnischen Beziehungen, Berlin: dpgbv, 2018.
- Kreisau neu gelesen. Aus dem Polnischen von Sabine Stekel, mit einem Nachwort von Annemarie Franke, Dresden: Sonderausgabe der Sächsischen Landeszentrale für politische Bildung, 2018.
- Kreisau neu gelesen. Aus dem Polnischen von Sabine Stekel, mit einem Nachwort von Annemarie Franke, Dresden: Neisse Verlag, 2018.
- Krzyżowa ponownie (od)czytana (Krzyzowa/Kreisau (re)visited) Wrocław: Wydawnictwo ATUT, 2017, ss. 194.
- Śląsk i jego dzieje (Silesia and his History), with Arno Herzig and Małgorzata Ruchniewicz, Wrocław: Via Nova, 2012.
- Zrozumiec historię – kształtować przyszłość. Stosunki polsko-niemieckie w latach 1933-1949. Materiały pomocnicze do historii (Understanding history – shaping the future. German-Polish relations 1933-1949). ed.: Kinga Hartmann, with Malgorzata Ruchniewicz, Tobias Weger, Kazimierz Wóycicki, Wrocław-Dresden: GAJT, 2007.
- „Noch ist Polen nicht verloren”. Historical Thinking in Poland. Münster, Hamburg, Berlin, Wien, London: Lit, 2007
- Polskie zabiegi o odszkodowania niemieckie w latach 1944/45-1975 (Polish policy regarding German compensation payments 1944/45-1975), Wrocław University 2007
- Zögernde Annäherung. Studien zur Geschichte der deutsch-polnischen Beziehungen im 20. Jahrhundert (A hesitant rapprochement: studies on the history of German-Polish relations in the 20th century), Dresden: Thelem 2005
- Opór społeczny w Europie Środkowej w latach 1948-1953 na przykładzie Polski, NRD i Czechosłowacji. (Societal resistance in Central Europe 1948-1953. The cases of Poland, GDR and Czechoslovakia), with Łukasz Kamiński and Andrzej Małkiewicz, Wrocław Atut, 2004
- Warszawa-Berlin-Bonn. Stosunki polityczne 1949-1958 (Warsaw-Berlin-Bonn. Political relations 1949-1958), Wrocław University 2003
- Edukacja europejska. Europa daleka czy bliska? (European Education. Close or remote Europe?) Warszawa/Wrocław 2002
- Twórcy zjednoczonej Europy. Z dziejów integracji europejskiej w XX wieku (Founding Fathers of the uniting Europe. History of European integration in the 20th century). Kłodzko 2000
- Adenauer i Europa (Konrad Adenauer and Europe), Wrocław 1998
- Pierwszy znak solidarności. Polskie odgłosy powstania ludowego w NRD w 1953 r. (First signs of solidarity. Polish reactions to the popular uprising in the GDR in 1953) with Andrzej Małkiewicz, Wrocław 1998
- Enno Meyer a Polska i Polacy (1939-1990). Z badań nad początkami Wspólnej Komisji Podręcznikowej PRL-RFN (Enno Meyer vis-a-vis Poland and the Poles. The beginnings of the German-Polish Schoolbook Commission, Wrocław 1994
See also – list of publications.
Affiliations and additional professional activities
- Director of the Willy Brandt Centre for German and European Studies at the University of Wroclaw
- Member of the Academic Board of the Herder Institut in Marburg
- Member of the Academic Board of the „Stiftung Ettersberg. Europäische Diktaturforschung – Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur – Gedenkstätte Adreasstraße”
- Head of Research Group „Polish emigrants in Germany after 1945”
- Member of the Commission for the Studies on Polish Diaspora (Polish Academy of Art and Sciences)
- Member of the Academic Board „Stiftung Bayerische Gedenkstätte”
- Member of the Academic Board of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V.
- Member of the Academic Board of the Historisch-Technisches Museum Penemünde GmbH
- Member of the Suppervisory Board of the „Komitee zur Förderung der Deutsch-Französisch-Polnischen Zusammenarbeit e.V”. („Weimarer Dreieck”)
- Member of the Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlands e. V.
- Member of the Historische Kommission für Schlesien
- Member of the „Stowarzyszenia Historyków Fotografii” (Association of Historians of Photography)
- Member of the Leica Historica e. V.
- Member of Executive Board of the international Blogjournal „Public History Weekly“
- Member of the Academic Board „Jahrbuch für Kommunismusforschung”
- Member of the Academic Board „Inter Finitimos”
- Member of the Academic Board „Zeithistorische Forschungen”