Legal status and organizational structure
Instytut Pamięci Narodowej – Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu - the Institute of National Remembrance - Commission for the Prosecution of the Crimes against Polish Nation (IPN) was formed on 19th January 1999 r. by the Act of 18th December 1998.
The main departments of IPN headquarters are:
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Główna Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu - the Chief Commission for the Prosecution of the Crimes against Polish Nation (special prosecution sevice),
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Biuro Lustracyjne - the Vetting Office (lustration unit),
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Archiwum IPN - IPN Archives,
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Biuro Upamiętniania Walk i Męczeństwa - the Office for Commemorating the Struggle and Martyrdom,
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Biuro Poszukiwań i Identyfikacji - the Office of Search and Identification,
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Biuro Edukacji Narodowej - the National Education Office,
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Biuro Badań Historycznych - the Historical Research Office,
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Wydawnictwo - the IPN Publishing House.
The IPN Archives HQ in Warsaw consist of eight departments:
> Wydział Informacji i Sprawdzeń - Department of Information and Inquiries (holding the registries and card-indexes),
> Wydział Zarządzania Zasobem Archiwalnym - Department of Archival Resource Administration (holding the archival records),
> Wydział Zasobów Cyfrowych - Department of Digital Resources (administrating the archival digital systems and tools),
> Wydział Udostępniania - Access Department,
> Wydział Obsługi Bieżącej - Services Department,
> Wydział Badań i Edukacji Archiwalnej - Department for Archival Research and Education,
> Wydział Gromadzenia i Opracowania Zasobu Archiwalnego - Department of Acquisition and Elaboration of the Archival Resources,
> Wydział Zarządzania i Rozwoju Systemu Cyfrowe Archiwum - Department for Administration and Development of the 'Cyfrowe Archiwum' System (responsible for management of the IPN's general archival information system).
The detailed directory of IPN Archives HQ is available here.
The IPN has also 11 territorial branches based in Białystok, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Warszawa and Wrocław (i.e. where the Appellation Courts are located), in next 7 towns exist the IPN Delegations (in Bydgoszcz, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Kielce, Koszalin, Olsztyn, Opole, Radom). In every territorial branch exist the local IPN archive, in every IPN Delegation exist the reading room, several Delegations also have their own archives (Bydgoszcz, Kielce, Olsztyn, Radom).
The most important legal regulations of IPN's activity originate from following Acts:
Act of 18th October 2006 on release of the information about the records of the state security bodies of 1944-1990 and the contents of those records (Lustration Act)
The other significant Acts concerning i.a. IPN activity are:
Act of 20th March 2015 on anticommunist opposition activists and politically repressed persons,