POMIĘDZY ODRZUCENIEM A REPRODUKCJĄ SZOWINIZMU GATUNKOWEGO. ANALIZA NAGROBKÓW Z CMENTARZA DLA ZWIERZĄT W BYTOMIU
BETWEEN REJECTION AND REPRODUCTION OF SPECIESISM. ANALYSIS OF TOMBSTONES FROM THE ANIMAL CEMETERY IN BYTOM

Summary/Abstract: The article analyzes tombstones from the animal cemetery in Bytom, addressing issues of speciesism, zoonyms, epitaphs, and the intermingling of the sacred and the profane in relation to the death of nonhuman creatures. The analysis of cat and dog tombstones confirms that owners of domesticated animals form strong emotional bonds with them and feel the need to enact funeral rituals after their death. Empirical studies have shown that animal cemeteries are places that, while countering speciesism, do not overcome anthropocentrism. The owners of deceased cats and dogs oppose the exclusion of these species from the sphere of memory and the sacred, yet at the same time emphasize interspecies differences, often inadvertently undermining the subjectivity of the buried animals. The collected research material also prompts reflection on the possible future development of animal cemeteries.

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