Witold Pilecki: an ordinary man turned volunteer for Auschwitz? ​

About the Lecture: This lecture is a part of the 12th Annual Kościuszko Chair Conference that was held on November 23, 2019, at The Institute of World Politics. Rotamaster Witold Pilecki, a Polish intelligence operator who volunteered for Auschwitz, is presented by non-Polish authors as an ordinary man who was capable of a heroic deed in times of war. Mrs. Maria Juczewska examines the validity of that narration in view of evidence provided by scholarly research, archival material, and accounts of his close and kin. About the Speaker: Ms. Maria Juczewska is the Associate Director of the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies​ at The Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC.