Thomas Wegener Friis honoured as Ambassador of Polish History

Thomas Wegener Friis received the award for his commitment to research and teaching on Polish history and for promoting cooperation between Danish and Polish research communities.

The Institute of National Remembrance particularly highlights the international Need to Know conferences, which Thomas Wegener Friis has helped organise in cooperation with the Institute since 2011. The conferences bring together researchers studying intelligence services, espionage and security structures during the Cold War. 

For Thomas Wegener Friis, his fascination with Poland began when he was a student:
- I became fascinated by Polish history as a student. Poland is an important neighbouring country with a dramatic, dynamic and often tragic history in the 20th century. While it is well known that Poland suffered more severely than other European countries during the Second World War, its history also includes the fascinating re-establishment of the Polish state after the First World War and a turbulent history under communism, marked by remarkable civil courage.

The award also recognises Thomas Wegener Friis’ contribution to strengthening international research cooperation and bringing the work of Polish historians to wider international scholarly audiences. 

The award was presented on 4 November at a ceremony at the Palace of the Commonwealth in Warsaw.

Read more about the award and this year’s recipients at the Institute of National Remembrance.