World War II Historical Reenactment in Poland: The Practice of Authenticity (Routledge Studies in Second World War History)

Synopsis

This book explores the consequences of the latest political shifts in Central Eastern Europe: the rise of right-wing parties and, among other things, politics becoming more invested in history. These phenomena coincide and overlap with the democratisation of history by turning the past into a hot topic, persistently present in the public sphere and often evoking strong emotions. Ethnographic research (conducted in 2012-2016) focusing on how World War II reenactors experience the past serves as the basis to analyse the ways in which the group uses the widespread, often institutionalised interest in history to – on the one hand – become involved in debates on World War II and the remembrance thereof, and – on the other – to authentically experience this past. The volume therefore analyses how physical the process of creating and experiencing grassroots visions of the past is, and how these visions interact with the public discourse about the past. Reenactors’ ability to marry the often-contradictory orders of historical truth, authenticity, and representation is explored. Moreover, Baraniecka-Olszewska analyses how the reenactors overcome various obstacles on their way towards authentic experiences, performing history through their bodies.

Copyright:

2022

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

200 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781000454376

Related ISBNs:

9780367515645, 9781003054450, 9780367515652

Publisher:

Taylor and Francis

Date of Addition:

09/30/21

Copyrighted By:

Kamila Baraniecka-Olszewska. The book has been translated by Julita Mastalerz.

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Military, Nonfiction

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.