The Polish 19 th -Century Reflected in 21 st -Century Literature – the Meanders of Neighbourliness

Abstract

The article discusses several ways in which the nineteenth century appears in recent Polish literature. It highlights how different elements of that legacy, especially those linked to romanticism and modernism, have been reshaped and reassessed. A century once fundamental to Polish culture during the partitions has, in contemporary times, taken on more problematic – and at moments even toxic – dimensions. Contemporary Polish writers return to that period to uncover stories previously excluded from the mainstream national narrative. The texts analysed here show that the nineteenth century remains a “neighbour” unexpectedly close to our present day.