Niezrealizowane spotkanie kultur, czyli przewodnik-archiwum po Wilnie Zelmana Szyka na tle polskiego dyskursu krajoznawczego
A Meeting of Cultures that Never Came to Be: Polish Local History Discourse and
Zelman Szyk’s Guidebook-Archive to Vilnius
Author(s): Joanna Degler (Lisek)Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature
Published by: Instytut Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Vilnius; Jews in Vilnius; city guidebooks; Zelman Szyk; Adam Honory Kirkor; Juliusz Klos; multiculturalism; ethnocentrism; localy history discourse
Summary/Abstract: This article explores shifting perceptions of multiculturalism from the mid-nineteenthcentury until World War II. A survey of tourist guidebooks to Vilnius published between1856 and 1939 shows that Polish local history discourse was characterised by growingnationalist patriotism, ethnocentrism and national megalomania. Zelman Szyk’s YiddishToyznt yor Vilne (1939) appears all the more unique against this backdrop. Although itwas never used as a guidebook it now functions as an archive of Vilnius, a city thatunderwent radical transformations as a result of the war, Shoah and violent politicalchanges. Szyk is remarkably open to different models of historical memory and ofinterpreting urban space. He paints an eminently multicultural picture of Vilnius, takinginto account all ethnic groups and giving an unprejudiced portrait of their heritage. Atthe same time he depicts the Polish impact on the cityscape in more detail than thePolish-langue guides.
Journal: Teksty Drugie
- Issue Year: 2021
- Issue No: 5
- Page Range: 319-338
- Page Count: 20
- Language: Polish
- Content File-PDF
