Pamięć o Zagładzie a zmiany we współczesnej kulturze historycznej. Warsztat diabła Jáchyma Topola

Abstract

This article is an attempt to reflect on the image of the Holocaust in contemporary collective memory. I would like to point out the generational changes as well as the changes in the ways of remembering the Holocaust and in the reception of places commemorating this event. My reflections are centered around The Devil’s Workshop (Polish translation: 2013) by a Czech writer, Jáchym Topol. According to the interpretations by publishers and reviewers, I read Topol’s book as a critical reflection on the problem of commercializing the memory of the Holocaust. I also propose that the book raises important questions about the essence of memory, reflection on history and the role of the Holocaust in building identity of postwar generations.