What do we accept, what we neglect? The quest for the proper version of collective memory. Some considerations about the names present in urban space after the 2015 elections in Poland. The case of Łódź and its neighbourhood
What do we accept, what we neglect? The quest for the proper version of collective memory. Some considerations about the names present in urban space after the 2015 elections in Poland. The case of Łódź and its neighbourhood

Summary/Abstract: Public space in Poland was a subject of spontaneous decommunization after the year 1989. What is interesting the wave of changes was observed mainly in the big cities, in small settlements it was usually restraint to the main streets and/or the subjects unanimously perceived as connected with communist ideology. In the small cities – in proposed case study in the commons around Łódź, usually the names connected with previous times remained, usually due to finances and people’s habits. The situation changed only recently, after the 2015 elections, when the Law and Justice (PiS) party, began the complex decommunization of Polish reality. There was complex law prepared, and the special state agenda the Institute of National Remembrance was obliged to name the places whose names should be changed. From what seemed to be rather simple question it finally appeared very complex one due to pressed cohabitation on a local level, which is still visible due to different outcome of 2015 legislative elections and 2014 local ones. Peoples connected with present majority (PiS), have different understanding of collective memory then the politicians connected with Civic Platform (PO) and their minions from Peasant Party (PSL) or Nowoczesna etc.

• Details
• Contents