| dc.description.abstract | Collective memory is never monolithic; through its involvement in culture, numerous
relations to the present, it is a conglomerate of different types of beliefs, sometimes mutually
complementary, sometimes conflicting. Such is also the case of the memory of the People’s
Republic of Poland (PRL). The aim of this paper is critical analysis of the two forms of memory
of the PRL that are dominant in public discourse. One is called by the author „accusing memory”
while the other is „nostalgic-ironic memory”. Each has its particular characteristics, reflected
in its characteristic language and symbols, each refers to a different axiology and tries to
conceptualize the main threads of the memory of the People’s Republic of Poland in a different
way and, finally, each is addressed to a different audience. Since both memory formulas have
their limitations, raise doubts and do not allow for sufficient „taming” „working”, „overcoming”
that historical experience of the People’s Republic of Poland that several generations of Poles
had to face, the author proposes a different concept of memory in their place: „conciliatory
memory”. It is based on the idea of intergenerational dialogue, gives an opportunity to
„depoliticize” the past and a possibility to include various perspectives in the creation of the
proposed, multi-dimensional image of the People’s Republic of Poland. | en |
