Backstories of Commemoration: Memoryscapes of Polish Galicia

Summary This article explores memoryscapes of the Jewish community in Brzesko and Nowy Wiśnicz, towns in Polish Galicia. These towns present divergent methods of dealing with the past in which Jews – the Others and Neighbors – perished and disappeared. In Nowy Wiśnicz, the remembrance of Jewish residents is limited. Despite boasting a large Jewish cemetery and multiple locals awarded Righteous Among the Nations, the focus remains on Jan Matejko, a renowned Polish painter. In 1945, there were numerous incidents of anti-Semitic violence in Nowy Wiśnicz. This violence was directed not only towards the few survivors who returned, but also towards what little remained of the Jewish quarter. By the end of the 1950 s, all buildings in that quarter had been demolished. In contrast, Brzesko honors its departed Jewish community through the March of the Living, with the local government supporting the erection of plaques, memorials, and exhibitions. The exhibition at the local museum, facilitated by local memory leaders, covered the topic of Jews in Brzesko. While the memory of this topic seems to be “closed” and settled, a closer examination of tourist flyers describing the history of the town’s market square reveals an absence of the word “Jewish”, even though the square was once bustling with Jewish shops prior to the war. The study of the interaction between the researchers and the leaders of local memory will provide insight into the power dynamics within the research team, interlocutors, and the wider community.