The Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IBL PAN) is one of the oldest units of the Polish Academy of Sciences. It was established in 1948. After three years the Institute was included in the structure of the Polish Academy of Sciences, becoming the first unit of the Division I (Social Sciences) of the PAS (PAN). During the half of a century of its existence, IBL PAN has established its own history, created by its people and their works. It became a unit of a renowned, distinctive character, with an output confirmed by thousands of publications.

The main field of research at the Institute is the history of Polish literature, apart from that: issues of the theory of literary forms and the historical-literary process, literary style, theoretical and historical poetics, versology and metrics, popular literature, as well as the problems of the literary culture of particular epochs. The Institute proceeds extensive bibliographical and documentary, lexicographical, and editorial work. IBL PAN is also editor of prestigious periodicals dedicated to literary history and theory, open to distinguished national and international researchers and specialists: “Pami?tnik Literacki” and Teksty Drugie”.