Students’ attitude towards multicultural heritage of

Wrocław

The Memory of Vanished Population Groups in Today’s East- and Central European Urban Environment. Memory Treatment and Urban Planning

in L’viv, Černivci, Chişinău and Wrocław

Prof. Stanislaw W. Kłopot, dr Paweł Czajkowski Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences,

Wrocław University

Empirical note

High School students survey

•Surveys carried out in the year 2011

•Scope – all schools, all types, eldest students (last classes, of age)

•Two different techniques – audit questionnaire, picture test

•Finally in two measurements 512 and 514 respondents

University students survey

•Surveys carried out in the year 2013

•Six biggest universities (49% University of Wrocław, 51% other universities)

•Purposeful group sample audit questionnaire

•Results cannot be extended to entire student population of Wrocław

•Finally 329 respondents

Keynote issues

• Multiculturalism of Wrocław

• The Quarter of Four Denominations

• Lviv myth in Wrocław

• History as an element of social memory

Research assumptions and hypothesis

• Students of humanistic fields of study and of comprehensive type of school should have better knowledge about the city history and city’s multicultural heritage

• Students born and raised in Wrocław have better knowledge of the city history

• Students with at least one parent having university degree have better knowledge of the city history

• The increase in cultural competence influences positive attitude to material multicultural heritage of Wrocław

Multicultural Wrocław

High Schools - Is a multiculturalism of Wroclaw something desirable or undesirable? Valid % of N according to type of school category

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

vocational %ofN=24

comprehensive/vocational

%ofN=57

technical %ofN=167

comprehensive %ofN=248

no opinion

unwanted

desired

High Schools - Is a multiculturalism of Wroclaw something desirable or undesirable? Valid % of N according to gender category

62

40

50

6

16

12

32

44

38

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

female %ofN=222 male %ofN=272 general %ofN=494

desired

unwanted

no opinion

High Schools - Which of the features reflect the multicultural character of the city? valid % according to „Is a multiculturalism

desirable or undesirable?” category

0 20 40 60 80

foreigners in Wroclaw

many foreign tourists

different religious community

international corporation

different nations and statetes in

the past

foreign students

international festiwals,

conferences, events

many religious, social and

cultural organisations

no opinion

%ofN=187

unwanted %ofN=56

desired %ofN=246

The Quarter of Four Denominations

Social and Sociological Significance of The Four Temples District

The example of how the history can build a new symbols of the city space

New ideas inscribed in symbolic and material space

The phenomenon of the District became attractive for the City Council

The District is not an emanation of Wrocław's history but is symbolic project “invented” recently as projection of the history

High Schools - How the name of the Quarter was created? (according to „how often in a school are discussed topics related to former

multiculturalism of Wroclaw?” valid % of N in category)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

unofficial name

official name of the maps and documents

created by city authorities for promotion

created by religious community

created by city authorities to show

complicated history

never N=74

rarely N=269

often N=37

Comparison - The origin of the name Quarter of Four Denominations

Majority of students were aware of their lack of knowledge or provided false information about the origin of the Quarter of Four Denominations.

0,0

10,0

20,0

30,0

40,0

50,0

60,0

70,0

common,

unofficial

authority for

promotion

religious

community

old official

name

I don't know

Inhabitants (% N=546)

High school students (%

N=381)

University students (%

N=288)

Elite (% N=48)

High Schools - If you remember, indicate the temples in the Quarter. Valid % of 'yes’ responses for N in each category due to the type of

respondents’ school

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

vocational N=25

voc.

comprehensive

N=59

technical N=175

comprehensive

N=253

Orthodox Church

Catholic Church

Protestant Church

White Stork Synagogue

Dimensions of Four Temple District space significance in Wrocław

Historical - significant space is a point of reference to the collective identity of different nations

Social – collective identity reconstruction means that each community creates its own interpretation of the history

Material/architectural – the material heritage included in urban arrangements, architecture, buildings, public objects

Lviv Myth in Wrocław

0,0 20,0 40,0 60,0 80,0

vocational N=11

voc./comprehensive N=35

Technical N=110

comprehensive N=170there was no suitable

space for it in other

cities

Wroclaw elite

comming from Lviv

strive for it

settlers of this town

brought it with

themselves

High Schools - Why there are so many objects from Lviv in Wroclaw ?

University Students - The conviction about the Lviv's origin of Wrocław inhabitants

Only every third student correctly identified the sources of Lviv myth or in the other words activity of scientific and

cultural elites of Lviv origin in post IIWW Wrocław

15,5

32,5

14,9

37,1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Because it was like that

Lvivian were the elite in Wrocław

Lviv institutions were transfered to

Wrocław

I do not know

History as an Element of Social Memory

University students - Is history of Wrocław and its inhabitants important for you?

45% of surveyed students declared that

history of the city is important and very important

2,7

6,1

13,1

32,8 31,3

14

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0:Not

important at

all

1 2 3 4 5: very

importanmt

Imagine that Wroclaw authorities must make a choice: preserve historical object or demolish if necessary,

valid % of N in categories due to the type of respondents’ school

0,0

10,0

20,0

30,0

40,0

50,0

60,0

70,0

80,0

vocational N=24 voc./comprehensive

N=57

technical N=171 comprehensive N=246

preserve

destroy

University students - The nationality that influences the most the appearance of Wrocław until 1939

1,5

3,4

2,7

75,9

15,2

1,2

Czechs

Jews

Poles

Germans

Every nation a bit

Other answer

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

High Schools - If you are in any historical part of the city, what do you pay attention on? (according to the type of school: valid % of 'yes'

response of N in category)

0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0% 70,0%

architectural style

on current use

appearance, aesthetics

cultural significance, symbolic

the way of integration with

buildings

don't pay attention, it's only

surroundings

comprehensive %ofN=245

technical %ofN=164

voc./comprehensive

%ofN=57

vocational %ofN=25

High Schools - Are there any conflicts connected with Wrocław and its heritage?,

valid % of N in each category due to the type of school of respondents

0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0

vocational N=14

voc./comprehensive N=44

technical N=120

comprehensive N=187

yes, because after WWII

german traces in the city

were blured

yes, Poles forget about the

role of the Germans, Jews

and Czechs in the history

of this city

yes, each of the

nationalities of former

Wrocław writes its own

history of this city

no

University students – Do You agree with the opinion that „Restoring the memory about old Wrocław and its inhabitants is/means …”

% of ‚yes’ responses of N=329

...is a hidden attempt of germanization of inhabitants’ awareness 64

...is a hidden attempt of Jews to recover material goods 63,2

...diminishes local patriotism and attachment of current inhabitants to the city

65,7

...is symbolic attempt to appropriate urban space by Jews 60,8

...weakens sense of inveteracy of current Polish inhabitants of the city 62,9

...brings the sense of political and social instability of the Polish inhabitants of the city

58,8

...is necessary for identity of inhabitants and identity of the city 14,3

Conclusions

• Despite the declarations about the importance of history, including history of Wrocław, students did’t have the significant knowledge about the city past and its multicultural heritage

• Despite assumptions, students of humanistic fields of study did not present the higher level of knowledge about the city history in comparison to other students

• The students show respect for the places/buildings/objects of historical value but they are not interesting in the detailed history of the city

• Their attitude toward Germans negatively infleunces their opinion about the restoration of memory about old inhabitants of Wrocław and material cultural heritage of the city.

• History of the city although used by elite to build a local identity is not known enough to be a basis for historical memmory

Further assumption and hypothesis

• Architectural heritage of Wrocław, like in other big cities, can construct a local identity of inhabitants and can be a part of collective memory but in a specific way in Wrocław

• It can also be an indicator of participation forms in symbolic space, which already is an integral element of identity building

• There are a significant differences in the functioning of the historical memory, between students and other social groups

• For elites, historical memory can become an element of purposeful and relatively planned activities (not necessarily consistent) reaching the selected topics of the city history, aiming to construct a particular image of the city

• In the case of students, historical memory has more spontaneous and visibly inconsistent nature based on superficial historical references, short-term social and political contexts, often constructed on the basis of stereotypes and prejudices

Thank for your attention