Between Cultural Memory and Communicative Memory – the Dilemmas of Reconstruction of Annihilated Past of Polish Jews

Abstract

This text presents briefly some of the elements of Polish discourse about collective memory of Holocaust during transformations. I refer to Assmann’s concept of communicative and cultural memories, which seems to help to explain the phenomenon of present memory, which can be observed. This text concentrates not on Polish memory of annihilation of Jews (so different from the memory of victims or perpetrators, not to mention different memory of other nations) but on its internal divisions and dilemmas which it generates. Along with war generation passing away, the decisive role of creating Polish memory about Shoah will be taken over by specialised institutions and rituals commemorating the past. In the early post -war period the transfer of memory happened mainly by the witness. The role of specialised institutions was marginal. From the beginning of XX century along with last witnesses passing away, the memory of Shoah became the focus of institutions (scientific institutions gathering documents including witnesses’ reports and anniversaries). It is a very important moment to look again at the memory distributed from the roots and confront it with models and standards of commemorating the past, which will create the memory of the next generations.

Keywords

• cultural memory, communicative memory, Holocaust, Poland