Dysonanse kulturowe na Mazurach a problem budowania tożsamości lokalnej
The cultural dissonances in Masuria and the problem of developing a sense of local identity

Author(s): Stefan M. Marcinkiewicz
Subject(s): Sociology of Culture
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: social memory; cultural landscape; cultural dissonance;local identity;
Summary/Abstract: Polish inhabitants of Masuria are trying to deal with tensions caused by the presence of the German, Masurian, and Jewish cultural heritage in the well-known cultural landscape of Masuria. The collapse of the myth of Ziemie Odzyskane [Regained Territories] has prompted an interest in the history of East Prussia. Within the last few years, there have appeared a number of works presenting the past from various perspectives. People are discovering what has been wiped out of the cultural landscape over the years. Social memory in Masuria reveals elements unknown or displaced from the collective memory of its new residents (i.e. the Great War 1914–1915). The presence of cultural dissonances requires seeking new justifications and reinterpreting historical narratives. Cultural dissonances force critical reflection in order to redefine the local identity. The local memory can be reconciled with the national memory by referring to the cultural borderland and the supranational European identity.

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