Date of tip:  23 August 2005 (last research visit dates back to May-June 2004)

Source: Margaret (Malgorzata) Gnoinska, gnoinska@gwu.edu

Archive:  Archiwum Ministerstwa Spraw Zagranicznych (Archive of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 

Location: Ul. Taneczna 67, 02-829, Warsaw, Poland

Contact Details: Tel: +48 (022) 523-93-80; Fax: +48 (022) 523-91-09

Possible Accommodation:  I happened to stay with friends and relatives while in Warsaw.  However, there are many hotels, motels and youth hostels in Warsaw where you can stay.  Check out the Lonely Planet guidebook, or their website at www.lonelyplanet.com, for good deals on accommodation.  Since the AMSZ is located in the southern tip of Warsaw, which feels more and more like a suburb in the United States where public transportation is not as good, try to stay somewhere in central Warsaw where you have easy access to the Metro.  I did not see any hotels or motels near the archive since the area is VERY residential. 

How to get there:  Depending on your starting point, the best way to get to Warsaw is by plane.  For example, there are fairly cheap flights from London; see http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Warsaw/.  Out of the US, the best deals are perhaps from Chicago or NYC on LOT (Polish Airlines). If you are already in continental Europe, perhaps the best way to get there is by train.  

As far as getting to AMSZ, it may be somewhat a challenge since the archive is located in a very isolated and residential neighborhood.  Get yourself a map of Warsaw with bus and tram lines.  It’s important to get an updated version of this map since the routes may have changed from the last time I was there.  You can get the map in any bookstore or even a small newsstand (called KIOSK in Polish).  

The best way to get there is by metro and then by a bus (but then again it depends on your starting point).  The bus will drop you off near the archive, after which you need to walk for about 5 min or so.  If you are short on time, a taxi may be your best bet and is not going to break you too much while saving you time and energy, which you will need!   

Language:  I only communicated with the staff in Polish, but the previous archivist (Mr. Szczepan Ciborek), as well as his assistant Mr. Mikołaj Morzycki, speak English and Russian.  I hear that there is a new archivist, and I am not sure what languages he knows.  I did not meet many foreign researchers while I was there, but those whom I met either had someone who spoke Polish to assist them or they spoke Polish. 

Getting started: As mentioned above, there is no website available for the AMSZ, so you can’t get any information prior to the visit via the internet.  Although the AMSZ is open to the public, the main purpose of the archive is to serve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its officials, so keep that in mind. 

You will need to call the AMSZ ahead of time (sometimes far ahead) to make sure that there is space for you to do research.  The reading room is very small and can hold only 6 researchers at a time.  Once you call, however, they will book a place for you.  There may be times when you will not be able to get the entire time you want, so plan ahead (i.e. you can do research at other archives or institutes in Poland).  The summer schedule is kind of arbitrary; that is the archive is closed either in July or August, depending on the year, so be sure that you call ahead of time.  

When you arrive at the reading room for the first time, you will need to fill out a researcher application (in Polish!); don’t forget to bring a photo ID with you! Also, a letter of introduction from your Professor back home or your Department will be highly appreciated and facilitate your application process (English version is fine).   Once the Director of the Archive approves your application (which I think took only a day), you are ready to start your research.  You will not receive any identification card (at least this was not a policy when I was there).   

There is no computerized catalogue, so you need to look things up in card catalogs located in the Reading Room, as well as ask the archivist for finding aids in the form of typed catalogs.  There is also a diagram of the Polish Foreign Ministry’s Departments and Units, which changed names over time, so it would be good to consult it, as well. It is located on the glass wall of the outside of the archivist’s office.

Opening Hours:  The Reading Room is open Mon-Thu. From 9:00 am – 3pm; closed on Polish state holidays, and partially in the summer, so plan your time wisely if you are there only for a short time.

General working conditions:  The Reading Room is very small, but extremely comfortable.  There are no computers where you can check your e-mail, though (at least not when I was there), as all the finding aids are in manual catalogs.  Before you go into the Reading Room, you need to leave your coats outside.  There are no lockers and you CAN bring your bags into the Reading Room.  However, no food or beverages (including water) are allowed, but pencils and pens are fine.  You can bring your cell phone, but it must be in a silent mode, of course! 

Consultation: You may turn in request slips (in Polish) for research material soon after your application is approved.  Since the archive is so small, there are no so-called “pull times” since there is only one archivist and his assistant.  You don’t have a shelf or a cart on which your boxes stay, but you receive one box (teczka) at a time from the archivist.  HOWEVER, if there are officials from the Polish Foreign Ministry in the Archive doing research, obtaining your materials may be somewhat slower, as their requests are the priority for the archivist.  Having said that, however, the archivist will do his best to bring your files in a timely manner.

Policy on technology:  Researchers are welcome to use their own laptops in the Reading Room.  AMZ allows the use of digital cameras for copying documents in the Reading Room.  There is no microfilm available.

Photocopy policy:  Photocopies of documents may be ordered in the Reading Room.  The basic cost of photocopies is 1 ZL (zloty), which is approximately $.30 per page if you are a researcher conducting on-site research.  There are no self-service photocopiers and all copies must be ordered by filling out a request, after which they will be copied for you by either the archivist or his assistant as soon as possible (or when their time allows).  You will not pay for the copies as you go.  The archivist keeps the tally of how many copies you ordered.  You will pay for the copies at the end of your research visit by making a deposit into the account of the AMSZ, given to you by the archivist, at the local post office or a bank.  Therefore, there’s no cash involved.  

Particularities:  No complaints.  As far as food, there is a very friendly store nearby with fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts, juices, etc.  There is also a KFC nearby and a store at the gas station.  However, you can also bring your own lunch (no microwaves to heat up the food, though!) and eat it with the tea or coffee which you can make on-site.  There is a small sitting area outside of the reading room where you can usually enjoy your lunch while chatting with a friendly guard about the weather, politics, you name it!    

How to apply for classified files:  AMSZ observes the thirty years rule and I am not sure what (if any!) policy there is on obtaining classified files. 

Contact name in case of questions regarding classified files:  I am not sure if there is one designated person whom you can contact.  The best way is perhaps to contact the main archivist. 

General Assessment: AMSZ is a must visit for everyone studying Polish foreign policy and Poland’s foreign relations, especially in the post-1945 period.  It is very useful, however, for those studying the Cold War in general, as the records contain extremely valuable documents, such as minutes of conversations between Polish and foreign leaders, daily secret telegrams (szyfrogramy), monthly and yearly reports from Poland’s embassies, etc., which shed light on the dynamics within the international communist movement and its relations with the capitalist and developing world, as well as illuminate the foreign policies of countries where archival access is not as open. 

The staff was EXTREMELY courteous and helpful, as well as very understanding of foreign researchers, so don’t get discouraged even if you feel that your Polish language skills may not be up to speed!!!  Besides Warsaw is a great place to visit, especially in the months between May-September where the weather is nice and the snow is nowhere to be seen during those months which allow you to walk around the Old Town, Wilanów, and Łazienki Park while pondering the fruits of your hard research.