Rewriting the Past: The Demolition of Modern Buildings and Monuments in Post-Communist Poland

Human beings undergo continuous changes. So does their environment, which becomes the immediate testimony to the turns in human perception of life and to the shifts in ideologies. The problem of permanence and change in architecture and in urbanism exposes the complexity of urban transformation processes, especially with regard to the contemporary city. Thus, throughout history, distinct temporalities co-exist, composed of the overlapping layers of remains from various periods, of moments of rupture and redefinition of paradigms. However, it seems to be a common process that the present is constructed while reducing or erasing what brings to mind or celebrates the immediately preceding period. The search for modernity and development plays a constant role in the redefinition of existing symbols, monuments and parts of cities in the contemporary urban context. It seems a worldwide phenomenon, yet our special interest lies with the case of post-communist Poland. Therefore, this paper will analyse the current situation of the Monument of the Revolutionary Struggle, also known as the Monument of the Revolutionary Deed, in Rzeszów,1 Poland, showing the dissonance at stake. On the one hand, it is a witness to communist years, reminding a large number of people about the period of suffering they wish to erase from their memory. On the other hand, it is a testimony to Polish history, part of the collective memory of the citizens of Rzeszów, and heritage for future generations – a link between past and future.