Constructing memory in urban space: Case of the Bałuty district in Łódź

Abstract

In my article, I focus on the issue of constructing memory in urban space, taking a selected fragment of Łódź as an example. I discuss the chosen perspectives of researchers dealing with memory and the city; both of these topics have been covered by numerous studies in the social sciences. I conducted my research according to the procedures of visual grounded theory. The result of the analysis is discussed by presenting the main categories of the theory developed and the hypotheses to which the research process led me. I propose to locate the process of constructing memory in urban space between the memoryscape, which consists of all material and symbolic representations related to the past of a given place, and the experience of an individual who, as an active subject, perceives and interprets what is around them and, on this basis, takes certain actions.