Historical anniversaries as instruments of the policy of remembrance: The perspective of anniversary resolutions adopted by the Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland after 1989. Research conclusions¹

The research problem of the article focuses on answering the question of the role of anniversary resolutions of the Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland in the politics of remembrance, while its aim is to present the main conclusions of the research project devoted to the commemoration of historical anniversaries by the Polish parliament after 1989. The main results discussed in the article include the author’s typology of anniversary resolutions and an analysis of their basic functions. A total of 774 anniversary resolutions passed between 1989 and 2023 were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively for the purposes of the research. The theoretical framework of the article is set in the context of historical anniversaries, treated as a “medium of memory politics.” Undertaking research about anniversary resolutions resulted from the scarcity of this type of research in the Polish scientific literature. The author adopts primarily a political science approach, contributing to the broader field of memory studies, which has an interdisciplinary dimension. The starting point of the research was the thesis that historical anniversaries often serve as catalysts for significant changes, marking systemic and political shifts, recalling events and figures from the past, and providing reference points in historical narratives or disputes. In a political context, these anniversaries are frequently wielded as tools by political actors, used strategically for immediate partisan purposes. Commemorating historical anniversaries and the events and figures associated with them is crucial for shaping the identity of the national and political communities. The article is based on a research project under a grant funded by the National Science Center in Poland. It focuses on the place and role of anniversary resolutions adopted by the Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland in the country’s memory politics.