The Minister of Foreign Affairs announces a contest for the best foreign language publication promoting the history of Poland and the best Polish language publication on the history of Polish diplomacy. The contest welcomes works which were published in 2021. Historians can submit their works until 31 August 2022.

Submissions should be in book form only (academic monographs, popular science publications, or source editions) and have no more than three authors.

The winner of the contest in the category “Best foreign language publication promoting Poland’s history” will receive a cash prize of EUR 10,000; the first prize in the category “Best publication on the history of Polish diplomacy” is PLN 20,000.

The contest prizes are awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the request of the Historical Diplomacy Council.

How to enter:

Entries must be submitted by 31 August 2022, or postmarked by that day to be eligible for consideration.

Entries must include three copies, if possible accompanied by published reviews, opinions and peer reviews. Books sent in electronic form will also be accepted.

The entry should include a written consent of the author or authors to take part in the contest and their contact details.

This year’s edition of the contest is only open to works published in 2021.

The publications should be sent to: Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Departament Dyplomacji Publicznej i Kulturalnej (Department of Public and Cultural Diplomacy), Al. J. Ch. Szucha 23, 00-580 Warszawa; with the envelope marked “Konkurs Historyczny Ministra SZ” (“History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs”); or delivered at the MFA Incoming Correspondence Log (entrance from Litewska Street), Monday to Friday from 8.15 a.m. to 4.15 p.m.

The MFA does not return copies that were entered for the contest.

If you have any questions about the contest, please do not hesitate to write to ddpk.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl with “History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs” in the email subject line.

You can find more information on the contest’s rules in the Foreign Minister’s Order No 24 of 18 July 2017 on the History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (with attachments) and Order No 22 of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 24 May 2022 amending the Order on the History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

ORDER NO 24

OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

of 18.07.2017

on History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Pursuant to Art. 34(1) of the Law of 8 August 1996 on the Council of Ministers (Dz. U. of 2012 item 392 and of 2015 item 1064), it is ordered as follows:

§ 1. In order to generate more interest in the history of the Republic of Poland and the history of Polish diplomacy among the international academic and research community,
an annual History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is set up, hereinafter referred to as the “Contest.”

§ 2. 1. The Contest prizes are awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the request of the Historical Diplomacy Council, established by Order No 24 of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 11 July 2016 on establishing the Historical Diplomacy Council (MFA Official Gazette item 32).

2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs awards prizes in the following Contest’s categories:

1)     “Best Polish language publication on the history of Polish diplomacy;”

2)     “Best foreign language publication promoting Poland’s history”.

§ 3. The rules of the Contest shall be laid down in:

1)     The Rules of the History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the category “Best Polish language publication on the history of Polish diplomacy,” set out in Attachment 1 to the present Order;

2)     The Rules of the History Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the category “Best foreign language publication promoting Poland’s history,” set out in Attachment 2 to the present Order.

§ 4. 1. Information about the Contest is published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website and in the Minister’s headquarters. The information can also be announced in mass media.

2. The notice includes  information about the manner and the time-limit for submitting publications for the Contest and the assessment criteria of the publications entered in each category.

3. The Contest notice is subject to approval by a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of public diplomacy.

§ 5. 1. The unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of public diplomacy will be responsible for the organization of the Contest and the technical support.

2. The cost of the Contest prizes shall be covered from part 45 of the State’s budget from funds administered by  the director of the organizational unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for servicing the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

§ 6.  Works published in the years 2015 and 2016 may be submitted for the first edition of the Contest.

§ 7. The present Order enters into force one day after its publication.

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Attachment No 2

RULES OF HISTORY CONTEST OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

in the category “Best foreign language publication promoting Poland’s history”

§ 1. 1. The history Contest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the category “Best foreign language publication promoting Poland’s history,” hereinafter referred to as the “Contest,” shall be run by the Historical Diplomacy Council.

2. The Historical Diplomacy Council can set up a commission to offer its opinion on the publications submitted for the Contest. The commission can be composed of members of the Historical Diplomacy Council or of outside experts.

§ 2. The publications submitted for the Contest should concern the history of the Polish State and the Polish People.

§ 3. 1. The following works can be submitted to the Contest:

1)     that were published in the year preceding the announcement of the contest;

2)     that were written by Polish or foreign authors;

3)     that were published in the English, German, Russian, French, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovak, Belarusian or Lithuanian languages, not including works translated from the Polish language; as regards other foreign languages, a Polish or English translation of the entire publication should also be submitted.

2. Academic monographs, popular science publications, and source editions – written by no more than three authors may be submitted for the Contest.

3. Works whose authors or co-authors are full-time employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may not be submitted for the Contest.

§ 4. 1. The following participants may submit publications for the Contest:

1)     diplomatic missions and consular offices in Poland,

2)     foreign missions of the Republic of Poland,

3)     publishing houses,

4)     the authors of works,

5)     the members of the Historical Diplomacy Council,

6)     non-governmental organizations, cultural and scientific institutions, local government units,

7)     laureates of the Contest’s earlier editions,

8)     other natural or legal persons or organizational units that do not have a legal personality which have legal capacity granted under separate regulations.

2. Contest entries should be accompanied by a written consent of the author or authors to take part in the Contest.

3. The works submitted for Contest will not be returned.

§ 5. The author of the publication that is awarded the first place in the Contest shall receive a cash prize of EUR 10,000. In the event that the winning publication has more than one author, the prize shall be divided equally between its co-authors.

2. The authors of the works that are awarded the second and third prizes in the Contest shall receive honorable mentions.

3. The publishers of the submitted works can receive special honorable mentions.

§ 6. 1. The Contest’s results are published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2. The Secretary of the Historical Diplomacy Council sends a letter to the Contest’s laureate informing him or her about the awarded prize and inviting him or her to the award ceremony.