People’s History Turn in the Museum Space

Abstract

The people’s history turn is a movement that seeks to reinterpret Poland’s history from the perspective of the previously marginalized social classes. The aim of the article is to assess the presentation of peasants in museums and to find out whether the people’s history turn is reflected in museum exhibitions. Museum exhibitions are the place where the cultural canon is created and they define how communities want to be perceived. It appears that, in the context of the people’s history turn, peasants are present in museums to a limited extent, represented first of all in open-air museums, and in the martyrological context. In ethnographic and open-air museums, the peasant culture is often presented in a mythical and a historical way, which results in the strengthening of stereotypes. These exhibitions, despite certain positive changes, continue to offer an idealized picture of the country, focusing on folklore and traditions rather than on real social problems. Less often, peasants are presented as heroes of martyrdom with their activities during WW2 being glorified, leading to the emergence of simplifications and stereotypization. Museums as institutions are constantly mediating between the historical truth and the needs of the contemporary public. Changes in the approach to representing history, including people’s history turn, can lead to a more diverse and inclusive narrative, which takes different perspectives into account.