Performances of Remembrance: Attempts to Cure “Collective Amnesia” and The Underground Theater of Martial-Law-Poetry
Abstract
In the article an attempt has been made to present the results of research on the so far unexplored subject of Teatr Podziemny Poezji Stanu Wojennego (The Underground Theater of Martial-Law-Poetry] founded by Stanisław Olejniczak during the time of martial law in Poland (1981–1983) and its ways of staging the past. The beginnings and the overall history of that venture have been presented with a focus on its unusual method of keeping the memory of significant historical events and on its social resonance both in the past and today. The methodology of “rescue history” has been applied throughout the paper, making it possible to describe and validate the collected material which comprises memories of some participants of the past events in question. The artistic activity of the Underground Theater of Martial-Law-Poetry is analyzed as performances of remembrance aimed at curing “collective amnesia.”
