O pamięci Powstania Warszawskiego w przeddzień 80. rocznicy
On the Memory of the Warsaw Uprising: On the Eve of the 80th Anniversary

Summary/Abstract: The Warsaw Uprising in 1944 ended in defeat. However, amongst Poles, the memory of the battle fought by the capital remained extremely strong and affected later attitudes. It protected identity and helped to survive the period of Soviet subjugation. Symbols of this memory included the anchor (the sign of the Polish Underground State), uprising songs, graves and cemeteries, the passing on of the testimony of the insurgents’ heroism and patriotism to posterity, and participation in anniversary celebrations. Today, the next generation of young Poles are taking over the duty of remembrance from their parents and grandparents and even identifying with the past generation, recognising the tragic experiences as their own. However, they are increasingly shifting their focus to new areas resulting from cultural changes, caused above all by the onslaught of information technology and the virtual world. The memory of the Warsaw Uprising, however, because of its emotional nature, also remains present in contemporary political life. The author of this article discusses the transformations taking place in collective memory. He identifies new phenomena regarding modes of representation, as well as new roles of the Warsaw Uprising in public discourse.

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