Powrót pastora Haasego, czyli o problematyczności niemieckiego dziedzictwa i kształtowaniu się wielokierunkowej pamięci śląsko- -cieszyńskich ewangelików

Abstract

The Lutheran community in Cieszyn Silesia is a perfect subject for memory studies within an anthropological approach, because it reveals the operation of complex mechanisms of memory work in a religious minority group strongly influenced by a nationalist discourse. In Poland, only Catholics are accepted as Poles in a way that is beyond doubt, and representatives of other denominations must constantly prove their Polishness. One of the results of this situation was concealment or erasure of the German heritage of Silesian Protestantism and appreciation (or even over-valuing) — of the Polish traditions. This is beginning to change. I analyze these processes, presenting the vicissitudes of commemoration of the figure of Theodor Haase (head of the Lutheran church in the Austrian times, social activist, German liberal politician). My empirical material comes from discussions with memory leaders of the Silesian-Cieszyn Lutheran community. I am trying to answer the question whether “the return of Pastor Haase” is a symptom of some change in the cultural memory of Silesian Lutherans and what are the causes of it (in a dominant culture). The theoretical framework for my project is is based on a critical engagement with the concept of cultural memory proposed by Jan and Aleida Assmann, as well as the concept of multidirectional memory of Michael Rothberg.