Debata wokół "Złotych Żniw" Jana Tomasza Grossa. Między inscenizacją a nowym otwarciem sporu o pamięć zbiorową

Abstract

The article deals with communication mechanisms that govern public debates over the shape of collective memory. These actions are illustrated by examples of the decadelong controversy over books by Jan Tomasz Gross, in particular "Złote żniwa" [Golden Harvest] (2011). "Złote żniwa" is already the third book by this author that has sparked of a heated reaction in the public space, especially in nationwide media. The accumulation of argumentation strategies applied to Gross and his works could indicate that we are dealing with a production of the dispute, driven largely by the media. However, next to the well-known machinations and arguments used to discredit or support Gross’s message, new strategies of the debate about the Poles’ guilt vis-à-vis the Jews also appear. We are witnessing a public redefinition of the historian as a public figure and his duty toward collective memory. There is also a pronounced need for a reflection that would recapitulate and evaluate the outcome of the debates. The recapitulating thread of the dispute has produced some statements that offer a reflection over the quality of the debate and its long-term consequences for the ways of remembering the victims and the perpetrators.