‘Aparat Represji w Polsce Ludowej 1944-1989’ (‘Apparatus of Repression in People's Poland 1944–1989’) is an annual yearbook dedicated to the multifaceted study and dissemination of knowledge about the structures, working methods, and activities of security agencies during the communist era, both in Poland and in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc.

The journal focuses on all institutions that were used by state authorities to surveil society and repress opponents of the regime both at home and abroad. This primarily concerns the structures of the Security Office (UB), the Security Service (SB), the military and border services, the Citizens’ Militia (MO), the prison system, as well as the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office. The published research findings cover such topics as biographical studies, forms of resistance to the dictatorship, the fate of those subjected to repression, and the social consequences of the security agencies’ operations. The journal’s scope extends beyond traditional institutional history. The editorial board aims to broaden the research perspective by publishing interdisciplinary articles that combine history with political science, sociology, security studies, and legal studies.

An international and comparative perspective is a very important area of research, particularly articles by foreign scholars. The journal publishes studies on Soviet security agencies (including those prior to 1944), the security services of other Eastern Bloc countries, and the connections between them. The editorial board also remains interested in the activities of Western intelligence agencies during the Cold War, as well as the processes of transformation and accountability of the repressive apparatus after 1989.

The journal is intended for researchers in the humanities and social sciences. It features original scholarly articles, source documents, biographies, and reviews, in both Polish and English.

„Aparat Represji w Polsce Ludowej 1944-1989” is indexed in scientific journal databases:
ERIH PLUS, Index Copernicus International, BazHum, Biblioteka Nauki i Polska Bibliografia Naukowa.

Open access policy

The copyright for the contents of the periodical belongs to the Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of the Crimes against the Polish Nation.

The papers are published online in the open access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

The electronic versions of the papers are published online when the relevant files are available, however not earlier than completion of the issue contents.

Repository policy

The periodical’s Editorial Board stores the manuscripts submitted and processed in its own documentation repository accessible for the editorial aims and for editorial team only.

The published papers are stored as separate records on periodical’s website https://czasopisma.ipn.gov.pl/index.php/arpl/issue/archive and in the cooperating repositories BazHum, Biblioteka Nauki, ERIH PLUS, Index Copernicus International i Polska Bibliografia Naukowa.

The editorial board allows authors to use of the final published version of a paper (PDF) for self-archiving (author's personal website, academic website or on profiles in the academic platforms like Academia or Research Gate) and/or archiving in an institutional repository (on a non-profit server). The bibliographical description, link to the publisher’s website or DOI identifier must be included in the description of the paper.