Paper short abstract:

The paper aims to present the problem of building intimate relationships with the non-site of memory undergoing transformation into the museum by discussing selected multisensory interventions with space from the last three years.

Paper long abstract:

This paper discusses the transformation of urban infrastructure in the context of power relations related to commemoration of a traumatic past. Specifically, it focuses on KL Plaszow, a heritage site located within 20 minutes from the Old Town in Krakow. Eighty years ago, the site was the Plaszow labour and concentration camp, which was part of the German Holocaust policy. Around 35,000 prisoners, mostly Jews but also Poles and Roma, passed through it, and approximately 6,000 lost their lives there. Over time, the area has been transformed into a large green space in the middle of residential neighbourhoods.

Since 2016, Krakow institutions, notably the Krakow Museum, have been involved in the commemoration process. The memorial area is currently under the protection of the conservation officer and has the status of a war cemetery. In January 2021, the Plaszow KL Museum was established. This paper explores the theoretical framework of non-sites of memory and counter-heritage, focusing on the potential of these sites as multisensory, embodied spaces of everyday urban living. To what extent can they be inclusive of the daily practices of citizens? Can we commemorate the victims while walking our dogs? Can sightseeing revive the past in a performative way? Can artistic activism complement institutional commemoration? How do the unspoken rules of daily life interact with the regulations of cultural institutions?

The paper aims to present the problem of building intimate relationships with the non-site of memory undergoing transformation into the museum by discussing selected multisensory interventions with space from the last three years.