Grandmother Memories for the Future. Solidaric Practices and (Slow) Memory in Contemporary Oppositional Struggles in Poland

This article is about the relation between (slow) memory and solidaric practices through the lens of a Warsaw-based activist group called Polskie Babcie (Polish Grandmothers). Driven by concerns for their grandchildren’s future, these grandmothers leaned heavily on memories as they manifested their support for the rule of law, the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, and more, during the rule of the national-conservative party Law and Justice (PiS). Commemoration was rarely the purpose of their actions; rather, memory existed as a repertoire of songs, skills and experiences which were continuously revisited and recycled in public action. Dramatic memories from Solidarity in the 1980s coexisted on this repertoire with less eventful experiences of mutual care, friendship and of “getting by” under tough circumstances. Having traced the steps and stories of these grandmothers through interviews and observations, I dedicate this text to the emplaced and embodied nature and creative usage of memories, fresh and old, simple and grand, in contemporary oppositional struggles in Poland. I also engage with theoretical discussions on the significance of memories which are not aimed at commemoration or monumentalization, but which ‘stick around’, nonetheless, slowly and inconspicuously, through human practice and interaction.