CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2018
| Author | Babovic, Darja |
|---|---|
| Title | Anamnesis of Poland's Mnemonic Determinism: Are Historical Narratives Misused to Support Conservative Political Agenda? |
| Summary | Collective memory studies have been a central catalyst in understanding the dark legacies of Europe’s twentieth century. The debates associated with the asymmetry of historical experience between Eastern and Western Europe have been generated with the purpose of deeper understanding of the predicament surrounding the competing narratives of Nazism and Communism. This piece of research positions itself within the ongoing discussion regarding the underlying causes of the eruption of mnemonic determinism in Poland. Applying case study analysis, I observe the actions on behalf of the Polish government through the prism of its brand of conservatism. The assessment shows that the hostile rhetoric of the incumbent Polish Law and Justice party (PiS), with abundant support from the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), is mobilized through the use of the most potent memory vectors in Poland: The Katyn Massacre, and the Holocaust. Passing of the Holocaust Law regarding the use of misnomer ‘Polish death camps’ has questioned the political legitimacy of Law and Justice Party in many ways. I find that the historical narratives are misused to support Conservative political agenda. The PiS party appeals to both domestic and international audience to align and complement the growing strain of discontent among domestic and international allies, for the ideas of preserving Polish sovereignty. I contribute to the research by presenting the audience how the competing narratives of the Holocaust and Communism – through the use of the configurative re-enactment of the aforementioned memory vectors – are utilized by the Polish government for the purposes of promoting conservative nationalism. Key Words: Poland, Memory Politics, Holocaust, Communism, Mnemonic determinism, World War II, Collective Memory, Law and Justice party, Institute of National Remembrance |
| Supervisor | Independently conducted research with generous help from CEU faculty |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2018/babovic_darja.pdf |
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