A beautiful flourish. The foundation story of Wroclaw (and Wroclaw residents) Cover Image

A beautiful flourish. The foundation story of Wroclaw (and Wroclaw residents)
A beautiful flourish. The foundation story of Wroclaw (and Wroclaw residents)

Author(s): Kamilla Biskupska
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics
Published by: Instytut Germanistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Wroclaw; Western and Northern Territories; discourse analysis; social memory; personal documents

Summary/Abstract: In the article, I present the content and the context of the foundation story of Wroclaw – created after 1945 in one of the largest and most destroyed cities which joined Poland after World War II (Polish Western and Northern Territories). The analyzed empirical material consists of personal documents – statements of Wroclaw residents written and submitted in 1966 for the competition entitled: “What does the city of Wrocław mean to you”. The most important element of this story about the creation of the city is the figure of a pioneer, shaped in the image of a mythical hero. The features of pioneers (such as courage, uncompromising love for the city and openness to others) have become an important narrative co-creating the discourse about the city in the narratives of subsequent generations of Wroclaw residents.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 13
  • Page Range: 43-62
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: English