Conflict of Memories

Overview & Synopsis

Anna Ratke-Majewska explores how the Law and Justice Party’s rule (2005–2010, 2015–2025) shaped a specific vision of Polish national identity through the politics of memory. Focusing on the Warsaw Uprising, the Cursed Soldiers, and Polish–Jewish relations during World War II, she reveals how state-endorsed narratives elevated selected interpretations of the past while marginalizing others. The rising conflicts of memories reflected and intensified political and social divisions, turning history into a contested space of identity, legitimacy, and ideological struggle in contemporary Poland. These struggles influenced public debate, education, and the international image of the Polish state.