On the complexity of 'collective memory': the case of Bedzin

This article explores the conceptual distinctions and overlaps between individual and collective or national memory; between autobiographical and 'historical' memory. Halbwachs maintained that societies had a 'collective memory' which acted as a shared social framework and gave shape to individual memories and recollections. Group memory exists distinct from any individual's memories, and individuals can thus hold memories of events they have never actually experienced themselves. The article shows that there was no single collective memory of events in Bedzin.