Anniversaries as a Space of Conflict of Memory in Countries with Experience of Undemocratic Systems and Transition. The Case of Poland, Spain, and Chile: 2015–2025

Abstract

The article analyzes anniversaries as a space of conflict of memory in the years 2015-2025 in three countries that have experienced undemocratic regimes and political transformations, i.e., Poland, Spain, and Chile. The study aimed to show how selected historical anniversaries became a tool for legitimizing the democratic order and an arena for symbolic rivalry. Two research questions were posed: (1) What similarities and differences can be identified in how selected historical anniversaries were institutionalized and ritualized in Poland, Spain, and Chile during the period under study? and (2) how were the anniversaries included in the survey used to maintain the legitimacy of the democratic political order, and when and why did they become a space for conflicts of memory and identity tensions? A comparative case study method and document analysis technique were used, covering official state narratives and media reports. In the countries studied, anniversaries served commemorative, educational, and legitimizing functions, but also became a field of contestation. In Poland and Chile, anniversaries intensified conflicts of memory, while Spain continued to operate in a model of conflict suppression, albeit with decreasing effectiveness. In all cases, anniversaries proved to be not only a form of institutional memory, but also a space for grassroots actors to act and negotiate the meanings of the past.