On 27 October 2026, the names of 14 individuals whose remains have been recovered and identified as part of the work of the Institute of National Remembrance were announced at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. Representatives of the President of the Republic of Poland and the Institute’s Deputy Presidents —  Karol Polejowski, Mateusz Szpytma and Krzysztof Szwagrzyk — attended the ceremony at which identification certificates were presented.

IPN Deputy President Karol Polejowski pledged, “We will fulfil this mission in the years ahead,” while Krzysztof Szwagrzyk emphasised the enduring importance of the work, declaring, “This never-ending mission — the mission of Polish remembrance — continues and will continue.”

In a letter read out by Minister Wojciech Kolarski, President Karol Nawrocki expressed his gratitude to the specialists whose dedicated work had enabled Poland to fulfil its duty to the victims.

Speaking on behalf of the families, Marek Dziemieszkiewicz, nephew of “Rój,” described the event as a restoration of identity and human dignity, bringing hope to families who continue to search for their loved ones.

The ceremony was also attended by finalists of the IPN’s educational project, “Łączka and Other Search Sites.” Addressing the young participants, Karol Polejowski urged them to remember the day when decades of uncertainty and waiting gave way to answers, as the state honoured its obligation to the victims and their families.

Those identified included victims whose remains were discovered during IPN investigations in Pomiechówek, Radom, Rzeszów, Warsaw, Białystok, Kraków and Katowice. One of the individuals had been found in Ukraine. The list also included Second Lieutenant Mieczysław Dziemieszkiewicz, codenamed ‘Rój’, a soldier of the National Military Union (NZW), whose identification had already been made public.

The ceremony at which the identification certificates were presented was attended by relatives of the victims, representatives of the President of the Republic of Poland, state institutions, veterans’ organisations, the armed forces and the Institute of National Remembrance.

The Institute of National Remembrance searches for and identifies victims of totalitarian regimes through the work of its Search and Identification Office. A multidisciplinary team of historians, archivists, archaeologists and specialists in anthropology, forensic medicine and genetics carries out research and exhumation work at numerous sites in Poland and abroad.

IPN specialists seek to locate previously unknown burial sites of those who lost their lives in the struggle for Poland’s independence, as well as victims of totalitarian regimes who died between 8 November 1917 and 31 July 1990. The aim of this work is to ensure that Poles murdered in atrocities are not consigned to oblivion and are laid to rest with the dignity they deserve.

The mission of the IPN Office of Search and Identification