Historia lokalna i tożsamość. Przykład miast dolnośląskich

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate what role was played by referring to the local history in the space of Lower Silesian towns in shaping the identity of their inhabitants. An analysis of the names of streets, monuments as well as of policies and declarations issued by the self-government entities and activities undertaken by the inhabitants themselves indicate that both in the town space and in the identity of the inhabitants, references to the past of the nation dominate. Local issues are very rarely invoked. The situation is different in Wrocław, capital city of the region, where the inhabitant’s identity has been built on pride in the past glory of the town – times both before and after 1945.