The Historical Revisionism in Various Guises

Abstract

The historical revisionism is, speaking quite generally, the same as the tendency to undermine the convictions concerning the past prevailing in the historiography or (more generally) in public discourse, and to replace them with some other ones that, according to the authors, meet better the challenge of modernity. There is in world as well as in Polish historiography a great deal of examples of the critical assessment of the past understood in such a manner. This text aims at showing contemporary forms of the historical revisionism as contrasted with similar examples of both world and Polish historiography of the 20^th century. Author addresses the works of three authors: Jan Sowa, an author of “The Bogus-Body of a King. Peripheral Struggle with the Contemporary Form;” Andrzej Leder, an author of “A Revolution Dreamt. An exercise on Historical Logic;” Piotr Zychowicz, an author of a series of publications: “Ribbentrop-Beck Pact;” “The 44`s Madness;” “The German Option.” This paper aims at showing advantages and drawbacks of the historical revisionism and its impact on the place history occupies in public discourse.