Models of Polishness among Lithuanian Polish Minority

Simonas TEŠKEVIČIUS

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This thesis suggests that after 1990, the reborn Lithuanian nationalism and patriotism on ideological level still has anti-Polish feature which comes from historical traumatic experiences and the nature of Lithuanian national identity. It provokes counter-nationalism of Polish minority group. In these circumstances new cultural circles of intellectuals and Polish elites try to search of identity models that would stress their historicity in Lithuania. By doing so, they shape cultural memory of local Poles and form distinct identity which is framed in relation to Lithuania and Lithuanianness. However, these identity constructions are not entirely new since they are grounded on historical models of Polishness that were created at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. The major questions of this thesis are to answer: - How many models of Polishness operate among present-day Lithuanian Polish public figures? - How historical concepts of Lithuanian Polish identity are being used and re-used in order to form contemporary Lithuanian Polish identity by Lithuanian Polish public figures carriers of cultural memory? - What are the major features, similarities and differences between the historical and contemporary concepts of Polishness? - How cultural memory of Lithuanian Poles is constructed by the carriers and what are the major markers of it? - How Lithuanian history is interpreted by Lithuanian Polish public figures?

Abstract:

This thesis suggests that after 1990, the reborn Lithuanian nationalism and patriotism on ideological level still has anti-Polish feature which comes from historical traumatic experiences and the nature of Lithuanian national identity. It provokes counter-nationalism of Polish minority group. In these circumstances new cultural circles of intellectuals and Polish elites try to search of identity models that would stress their historicity in Lithuania. By doing so, they shape cultural memory of local Poles and form distinct identity which is framed in relation to Lithuania and Lithuanianness. However, these identity constructions are not entirely new since they are grounded on historical models of Polishness that were created at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. The major questions of this thesis are to answer: - How many models of Polishness operate among present-day Lithuanian Polish public figures? - How historical concepts of Lithuanian Polish identity are being used and re-used in order to form contemporary Lithuanian Polish identity by Lithuanian Polish public figures carriers of cultural memory? - What are the major features, similarities and differences between the historical and contemporary concepts of Polishness? - How cultural memory of Lithuanian Poles is constructed by the carriers and what are the major markers of it? - How Lithuanian history is interpreted by Lithuanian Polish public figures?

Keywords

Polishness, Lithuania, Lithuanianness, krajowcy, cultural memory, Commonwealth, GDL, identity, models

Language used: Czech

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 29. 6. 2016

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Antonín Kalous, Ph.D.

PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Human Studies / Euroculture