Janusz Cisek

Janusz Waldemar Cisek (born 1955 in Stalowa Wola) is a Polish historian, academic lecturer, former executive director of the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America in New York City and of the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw, and former Polish under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An alumnus of a high school of general education in Stalowa Wola (Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Stalowej Woli), he finished the history major at the Jagiellonian University in 1980. In 1993, he obtained a doctorate in humanities at the University of Wrocław based on his dissertation entitled Białoruskie oddziały gen. Stanisława Bułak-Bałachowicza w polityce Józefa Piłsudskiego w okresie wojny polsko-bolszewickiej (marzec-grudzień 1920 r.) (Belorussian troops of Gen. Stanisław Bułak-Bułachowicz in the policies of Józef Piłsudski during the Polish-Bolshevik War (March–December 1920). In 2003, he obtained the degree of doktor habilitowany at the same university. In 2013, he received the title of Professor of Humanities (profesor nauk humanistycznych).

Originally, he conducted research in the archives of Kraków. In 1986, he moved to New York City and worked at the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America, first as vice-director (1989–1992) and then as director (1992–2000) of the organization. Following his return to Poland, he fulfilled the functions of deputy of the department director of the Ministry of Culture (2001-2002) and of vice-president of Stalowa Wola (2002-2003). In 2006, he became director of the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. As a scholar, he is associated with the Jagiellonian University, where he became a distinguished professor (profesor nadzwyczajny) at the European Institute. He also became the main commandant of the Riflemen's Association (2008–2012), a council member of the foundation in charge of assisting veterans of the Polish special forces JW GROM as well as a member of the Polish Society of Arts and Sciences Abroad.

In the 2011 Polish parliamentary elections, Cisek unsuccessfully ran for Senator from the list of the Polish Peasants' Party. On June 11, 2012, he was named the under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Cisek resigned on April 24, 2013. Radosław Sikorski stated that Cisek's resignation was forced by a serious illness. Cisek himself sent a message to the Polish Press Agency explaining his absences at the Sejm and Senate as caused by his medical treatments.

In 2009, Cisek received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

• (Polish) Kalendarium życia Józefa Piłsudskiego 1867–1935, tomy 1–4, LTW, Łomianki 2007
• (Polish) Józef Piłsudski, Świat Książki, Warszawa 2007
• (Polish) Do niepodległości (współautor z Markiem Ciskiem), Świat Książki, Warszawa 2008