Jadwiga of Anjou as a Polish Site of Memory: on Materials of Intellectual and Art Culture of the 19th Century

The concept of “site of memory” was first introduced into scientific discourse by the researcher of memory and culture Pierre Nora. This term is widely used in studies of cultural and collective memory. The conceptual apparatus introduced by Nora is also used by researchers to describe the representation of historical figures in collective memory. This study is devoted to the study of the memory of the Polish queen Jadwiga of Anjou (1371-1399) in Poland in the 19th century. It is planned to analyze how the image of Jadwiga of Anjou as a “site of memory” for the Polish people was constructed in different discourses. Her image is often addressed throughout the history of Poland, including in artistic culture. However, in Polish cultural memory this image varied significantly depending on the dominant memory narratives. It can be assumed that these transformations are interpreted as expressions of changes in the concepts of collective memory about a given historical figure. A study dedicated to Jadwiga as a “site of memory” will allow us to analyze this process.