Nationalism in the Museum: Power and Discourse at the National Museum in Warsaw

Museums are spaces of power which have a profound impact on engaged visitor’s perception of a state, nation, or their own national identity. Thus, nationalistic narratives and discourse can be strategically utilized in museums (especially national museums, which operate as key diplomatic spaces) to present a singular, glorified, ‘national identity.’ This narrative is enforced for both domestic visitors and disseminated abroad as a form of ‘cultural diplomacy.’ Critical museology has continually sought means to diminish this intrinsic power and dismantle such dominant narratives; however, the extent to which museums have embraced and implemented this change varies widely. Anthony D. Smith’s ethno-symbolic nationalism, which emphasizes the role of historical context, collective myths, a physical homeland, and cultural production and elites in nation formation is a valuable framework to analyze such discourse. Cultural production within this framework predominantly serves a dominant ‘ethnie’. The Polish nation was largely consolidated through cultural production during the eighteenth century, while Poles lived in Russian, Austrian, and Prussian states. In the twenty-first century the far-right Law and Justice Government (Prawo i Sprawiedilwosc, or PiS) seized control of Polish national museums and cultural institutions which have endured censorship, deterioration, and the imposition of highly nationalistic rhetoric. This thesis examines the 2020 temporary exhibition ‘Poland. Power of Images,’ digitized by the National Museum in Warsaw, as a case study of such nationalistic rhetoric and discourse. The expansion of museums into the digital space has increased their reach, without decreasing their power. Key Words: Ethno-symbolism, nationalism, cultural diplomacy, museum, national museum, national identity, power, discourse, digital exhibition