PAMIĘĆ O PRZESZŁOŚCI W KULTURZE ŚLĄSKIEJ
MEMORY OF THE PAST IN SILESIAN CULTURE

Summary/Abstract: Silesia is a borderland area where Polish, Czech, and German people have lived for years. The culture of region has been under the influence of these nations. Now the majority of Silesia belongs to Poland. The question is, how has the Silesian group been referred to the past and how have they presented their culture? The region’s past is painted by activists as being mainly Silesian – the nation apparently not existing. Literature, films, and memories generally accentuate their Silesian character. The local dialect, local customs and everything which is other than Polish are emphasised. E. Said’s concept may be used: there are two cultures in one territory, one being dominant and the other local. The dominant cultures – the German and the Polish – are wiped away from the past and emphasis is placed on the local culture. On the Internet, Facebook, in the local press and television a new picture of the region is being constructed. People learn and remind themselves of how to speak their language, the right words to use and how to behave in certain situations. A return to their own culture is largely a rejection of the higher culture in favour of a popular culture. Actions undertaken to create a Silesian nation refer to that cultural distinction.

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