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Full Description
This book offers the first systematic comparative analysis of memory politics concerning post-war camps in Poland for the German population (and those classified as German). It examines how this difficult past has been framed, instrumentalised, and negotiated in Poland and Germany across changing political systems and historical contexts.
Drawing on archival sources, interviews, institutional analysis, and discourse studies, the book traces how the memory of the camps functioned within communist Poland, how it was addressed and reinterpreted in West and East Germany, and how it influenced Polish-German relations. It argues that in neither country did this memory occupy a central place in official post-war memory politics. In communist Poland, the issue was largely silenced or selectively instrumentalised, while in West Germany it remained primarily confined to expellee organisations until around 1989. After the systemic transformation, the topic did not enter the national mainstream of memory debates. Instead, in Poland it acquired a distinct regional resonance, retaining mobilising potential within local politics and memory cultures. By tracing interactions between state institutions, non-governmental organisations, and public debates, the book shows how intergenerational memory became a site of political negotiation and symbolic competition.
The volume will appeal to historians, sociologists, political scientists, and scholars of memory and heritage studies. It will also interest readers concerned with Polish-German relations and communities directly affected by this history. Combining empirical depth with analytical precision, the book contributes to debates on difficult heritage and the politics of memory in contemporary Europe.
Contents
Introduction
Characterising sociological studies
Part I The memory of the camps in the political context
In communist Poland
Departure point: the 1940s
The fear of remembering in the policies of the PPR security apparatus
Politics and remembering the camps
Łambinowice - the breaktrough of 1977
After the 1989 transition
Breaking the taboo in Poland
The memory of the camps
Łambinowice, Świętochłowice, Potulice
The significance and instrumentalisation of memory in the 21st century
Part II Memory in flux
The symbolism of the postwar camps in Poland and the problem of trauma
Connotations
Camp-related terminology and categorising prisoners
A sense of stigma
Memory and commemoration: between emotions and politics
Motivations behind involvement in commemoration
Sources of knowledge about the camps
The problem of politicising commemoration
Memory contexts: dimensions, creations, and (re)interpretations
Language and narratives
Obstacles to commemoration
Suggested forms of commemoration
Mysterious ways of commemorations: challenges and risks
Challenges in holding commemoration
Difficult cooperation on commemorating the camps
Are we forgetting? The issue of the postwar camps in Poland in the Polish and German public spheres
Concluding remarks
APPENDIX
Works cited
Archives
Polish press - national and regional periodicals
Secondary sources
Internet sources
