Prescribed history
Nationalist narratives in Poland
Magdalena Saryusz-Wolska, Sabine Stach, Katrin Stoll
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In Poland, history is an important political field. History policy is designed to reinforce a sense of patriotism among the population and to protect Poland’s ‘good name’ in the world. In terms of its basic concept of the nation, national history and history policy practice, the Law and Order (PiS) government differs only marginally from its predecessors. It invokes well-known motifs from Polish historical culture and draws on the infrastructure that was created under the Civic Platform. Its interpretation of history is based on the commemoration of warring heroes, a rejection of a (self-)critical examination of history and on widespread anti-communist sentiment.
(Osteuropa 3-5/2018, pp. 447–464)