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MariaMendel,WiesławTeiss
onthestateofindividualandcollectivememory),integrational(maintainingin-
ternalcohesionofthegroup),andeducational(accumulatinginformationand
incorporatingitintoasystemofexperiences,assessments,andknowledge).2One
canreadilyseethatSzczepański,accordingtocontemporaryviewsonthissubject,
acceptsanarrowinterpretationofthefunctionandroleofmemory,reducingit
primarilytosomethingofoperationalanddefensivesignificance.
Tispointofview,althoughvalidinageneralunderstandingoftheplaceandrole
ofmemoryinsociallife,deviatesfromcurrentinterpretationsofmemory,whichare
mainlycultural,communication-focused,andcreative.Prominentamongtheseare
theviewsofPaulRicoeur,PierreNora,andAleidaandJanAssmann.Amongothers,
BogumiłKoss-Jewsiewieckiwritesaboutsuchawideandcreativeunderstanding
(onethatisclosetoourposition)oftheessenceandcreativepossibilitiesofmemory,
asfollows:“Memoryisnotanarchiveofwhatwas,norisit-atleastfundamen-
tally-knowledgeofthepastoraregisteroftraces.Itsdesignanditsproductionare
basedonaworkofassimilationinthepresent.Tesubject,collectiveorindividual,
constructshim/herselfthroughactionsperformed/absorbedintime;memoryisin
thisprocessaplaceinthepresent,wherethesubjectfabricatesthecurrentrelevance
ofthepast.”3FollowingHeidegger,onecansaythatmemoryisaplaceinthepresent,
abeing“here,”oneofthecharactersofDasein.
DevelopingJewsiewiecki)sthinking,wecannotethat-ontheonehand-
memoryexistsinaspecificplace,thephysical“here”wherethecurrentmeanings
ofthepastareproduced.Ontheotherhand,memory,whichisaplaceinthepres-
ent,cannotbedeterminedusingCartesiancoordinates,butthisisnotanobstacle
indeterminingthroughitapointinflowingtime.Memoryis,therefore,aplace,
inparticularaplaceinpresentreality,inwhichthesubjectprocessesthepast,
makingitsomethingthatispartoftoday.Weacceptsuchaviewand,inaccor-
dancewithit,weusetheconceptofmemory-place.However,tounderstandthis
categorysolelyonthebasisofonepositionwouldmeanitsimpoverishment,one
toonarrowbecauseofthewealthofdescriptionsoftherelationshipofmemory
andplacecontainedintheessaysinourbook.Itisthankstothemthatthecon-
ceptofmemory-placepulsatesinourvolumewiththemultidimensionalityofits
meanings,anditistheywhichhavemadeourthinkingaboutthiscategorybecome
moredevelopedandradicallyopen.
Tisintroductionalmostentirelyfocusesonadescriptionofthecategoryof
memory-place.Itisbothanexpressionoftheexchangeofviewsthattakesplace
inthecourseofreadingthetextspresentedinthebook,anditsresult.Ourinten-
2
J.Szczepański,Pamięć,“Odra”1986,nr3.
3
B.Koss-Jewsiewiecki,Przedmowa(in:)Inscenizacjepamięci,red.I.Skórzyńska,Ch.Lavrence,
C.Pépin,WydawnictwoPoznańskie2007,p.11.
