Włodzimierz Borodziej (9 September 1956 – 12 July 2021^[1]) was a Polish historian and writer specializing in contemporary European history with particular focus on Polish-German relations. Borodziej was a professor of humanistic sciences, and former prorector of the Warsaw University. He was the Polish-side Chairman of German-Polish Textbook Commission from 1997 to 2007.

Born in Warsaw, Włodzimierz Borodziej was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Wiktor Borodziej (1929–2004) from the former Polish secret police Służba Bezpieczeństwa who reportedly helped his son acquire German high school education in Berlin and in Vienna while serving abroad.^[2] Discussion of his father and his involvement with the secret operation Żelazo (Iron) against political targets in Western Europe,^[3] has caused some controversy in Polish academia, as some commentators see it as irrelevant, and an attempt to discredit his son's work due to family background.^[3]

Włodzimierz Borodziej graduated with a master's degree from the Warsaw University in 1979. In 1984 Borodziej received a title of Doctor of Philosophy from his own alma mater, followed by habilitation earned in 1991 for his scientific treatise Poland in international relations between 1945 and 1947 (Polska w stosunkach międzynarodowych 1945-1947). In 2004 he received the title of professor of humanistic sciences at Warsaw University, where in 1999–2002 Borodziej served as prorector (deputy to university's rector).^[4][5] In 2020, he was awarded the Carl von Ossietzky Prize (Carl-Ossietzky-Preis) conferred by the German city of Oldenburg for his work on the Polish-German history in the 20th century.^[6]

Borodziej was the author of The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 published in Polish, German and English. In his book he paints a complex picture of the everyday life in the embattled city, describes the Home Army operations, as well as supply situation and medical challenges in the capital.^[7]

He was also a leading figure in the establishment of the House of European History which opened in Brussels, Belgium in 2017.

• Włodzimierz Borodziej (1985), Terror i polityka : policja niemiecka a polski ruch oporu w GG 1939-1944, ISBN 83-211-0718-4.
• Włodzimierz Borodziej (1990), Od Poczdamu do Szklarskiej Poręby: Polska w stosunkach międzynarodowych 1945-1947, ISBN 0-906601-77-0.
• Włodzimierz Borodziej at al (1999), Polska i Niemcy: krótki przewodnik po historii sąsiedztwa, ISBN 83-910344-0-2.
• Włodzimierz Borodziej (2001), Der Warschauer Aufstand 1944, ISBN 3-10-007806-3.
• Włodzimierz Borodziej (2006), The Warsaw Uprising of 1944, ISBN 0-299-20730-7.
• Włodzimierz Borodziej (2009), Gdyby... całkiem inna historia Polski: historia kontrfaktyczna, ISBN 978-83-247-1676-0.
• (co-author) (2015), Nasza wojna. Europa Środkowo-Wschodnia 1912–1916. Volume 1. Imperia.
• (co-author) (2018) Nasza wojna. Europa Środkowo-Wschodnia 1917–1923. Volume 2. Narody.