English

The Pontifical Institute of Ecclesiastical Studies is a Polish center with the goal of collecting information and documentation about the history of Poland. In its research, it focused particularly on the archives and the libraries of the Apostolic See, among several others. The Institute started in 1958 thanks to the support of Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland, and is under the responsibility of the Jesuits from the Province of Greater Poland (Provincia Poloniae Maioris et Mazoviae).

The center’s founder and first director was Father Eugeniusz Reczek SJ (1916-1971). In 1970, the Institute was approved as Pontifical. From its beginning until 2024 its headquarters was in Rome. Since then, it moved to Warsaw, where its Consulting Point was operating during the last decades.

The main purpose of the Institute is to systematically register and collect (in the form of microfilms, photocopies, or digital copies) all material of interest to the history and Church in Poland, so as to facilitate access to this material by providing information and the above-mentioned copies. Among the activities of this center were also publication of books (around one hundred titles) and its own periodical Informationes (five issues published in 1976-1991). The Institute also contributes to Polish and foreign scientific committees both in Poland and abroad.

The reproduction of many documents collected by the Institute, mainly from Vatican Archives, is available in the Warsaw reading room, while the library merged with the books held by the library of the Jesuit College Bobolanum at the same place.

Contact

Rakowiecka 61
02-532 Warszawa
tel. +48 453 680 169
email: [email protected] 

Researchers who would like to use the resources of the Institute are kindly requested to get in touch via email or telephone.