Prof. Jan Wasiewicz wygłosił referat „’We’ve Forgotten Nothing…’, Peasant Memory of Serfdom and Enforced Labour in Debates over Land Reform in the Second Polish Republic (1918-1939)” na międzynarodowej konferencji naukowej “14th Genealogies of Memory 2024. Gentry, Nobility and Aristocracy: the Post-Feudal Perspectives”, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Warszawa, 25-27 września 2024.Organizator: European Network Remembrance and Solidarity | ENRS.

Abstract: The paper is, on the academic meta-level, a contribution to memory work on serfdom, which is part of the current momentous debate in Poland on the peasantry, its history and heritage. The paper explores what role in the arguments presented by peasant circles in favour of implementation of the land reform in the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939) played their politics of history, in particular peasant memory of serfdom and its key element enforced labour. Based on the analysis of the discourse in the main press organs of the leading peasant parties (PSL Piast and PSL Wyzwolenie), the paper shows that in addition to arguments of a social, economic and ethical-legal nature referring to the current situation, the supporters of both the moderate and radical version of this reform justified their position also by reference to historical reasons: compensation for centuries of systemic injustice inflicted on peasants in the Polish lands by the nobility during the serfdom period.

Link do programu konferencji: https://enrs.eu/edition/genealogies-of-memory-2024#programme

Link do nagrania wideo z obrad konferencyjnych (wystąpienie prof. Wasiewicza rozpoczyna się  na nagraniu od 7:37:30): https://www.youtube.com/live/yidoilXHWTM