VEHICLES OF MEMORY. PAST AND POWER IN OLD KRAKOW - PIOTR OKNIŃSKI

Discover a fascinating journey through time to medieval and early modern Krakow, where the power elites shaped the city's memory. Piotr Okniński's book is an extraordinary analysis of the mechanisms by which Krakow's notables built their legitimacy and consolidated their position in history. Discover the secrets of urban memory vehicles and their influence on shaping Krakow's identity.

• In-depth analysis of the memory culture of Krakow's power elite
• Detailed study of the functioning of urban memory vehicles
• Unique perspective on the political practices of shaping the city's official memory
• Discovering the role of privileges kept in the town hall as a carrier of memory
• Understanding the legitimization of municipal legal and order through memory policy
• Knowing the role of the city council's chancellery as a coordinating center for memory vehicles
• Rich historical sources and comparative analysis

The book "Vehicles of Memory. Past and Power in Old Krakow" is the result of many years of research by Piotr Okniński on the culture of memory in Krakow. Based on rich archival sources, the author analyzes how the power elites used various tools and practices to shape and consolidate their vision of the city's history. This publication is a valuable source of knowledge for historians, cultural scholars and all those interested in the history of Krakow and the mechanisms of power.

In his work, Okniński focuses on the functioning of urban memory vehicles, i.e. political practices involved in the production, shaping and institutionalization of the city's official memory. The basic carrier of this memory was the privileges kept in the town hall, which formed the foundation of the municipal legal and order. The memory policy of the Krakow city authorities primarily served to legitimize this order and strengthen the position of the power elite.

The coordinating center for the work of Krakow's memory vehicles was the chancellery operating alongside the city council. It was there that decisions were made regarding the shape of the city's official memory and the ways of consolidating it. Okniński's book helps to understand how important it was for the Krakow authorities to control the historical narrative and how effectively they used various tools and institutions for this purpose.

The publishing houses of the University of Warsaw, which published this publication, are a guarantee of high quality and scientific reliability. The book was published in 2023, has 268 pages and a format of 207x207 mm. The paperback cover makes it a comfortable read and storage. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to delve into the history of Krakow and understand the mechanisms of power in ancient times.