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Paper short abstract:

The case study on the marginalisation of Polish ethnic minority in Southeastern Lithuania shows that marginalised collective memories lead to the marginalisation of this ethnic group and result in its exclusion from Lithuanian society. In my presentation I discuss why and how this happen.

Paper long abstract:

Throughout the 20th century, the territory of Southeast Lithuania was a part of four different countries: Russia’s empire, Poland, the Soviet Union and, finally, Lithuania - the country that it belongs to today. As a result, the people living in this region in question were affected heavily by different policies implemented by these countries. Because of these experiences, the collective memory of Poles living in Southeastern Lithuania differs greatly from the one kept by the rest of Lithuanian society and the canonical interpretation of history, which is promoted by the state of Lithuania. The fieldwork data show that Poles feel that their grass-root voices and memories are suppressed and marginalised in modern-day Lithuania. Moreover, they believe that their memories are not represented in the official Lithuanian nation-state interpretation of the past; they are not transmitted through state institutions such as museums, schools, media, etc.

This marginalisation of the collective memory of the Poles creates the feeling of exclusion between the Polish ethnic minority and the rest of Lithuanian society. This leads to tensions in other areas of life (such as education programs, public festivals promoted by the state and local monuments ).

In my presentation, I introduce findings from my anthropological research conducted from 2017 to 2019 in Southeastern Lithuania. I highlight why and how these processes of marginalisation and exclusion occur. The findings are discussed within the theoretical framework based on Jan and Aleida Assmann’s insights.