Górnośląskie katharsis
Upper Silesian catharsis

Summary/Abstract: The 2025 anniversary of the Upper Silesian Tragedy marks 80 years since a series of events that fun-damentally altered the region’s character. For decades, the memory of World War II and the “liberation”of Upper Silesia by the Red Army was veiled in silence. As a result, the collective processing of wartimetrauma and the confrontation with the past occurred significantly later in Upper Silesia than in otherparts of Poland.As a cultural borderland, Upper Silesia has long followed a historical calendar distinct from that ofPoland, shaped largely by its shifting state affiliations. These changes consistently carried serious conse-quences for the region’s inhabitants, but the most dramatic experience came with the outbreak of WorldWar II. The war’s consequences did not end with the cessation of military operations; they continuedto affect the local population, who suffered under the postwar regime, which viewed them with deepsuspicion.This paper investigates the social memory of Upper Silesians concerning these events, exploringtheir historical, identity-related, and societal dimensions. The focus is placed on literary and theatricalrepresentations that engage with this legacy. The impetus for the paper was the overwhelming popularityand reception of the television play “Mianujom mie Hanka” (They Call Me Hanka) broadcast on Polishpublic television in January 2025, an event that proved to be a moment of catharsis for many UpperSilesians.

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