Published: 2021-12-20

Intensive work of heritage – local leaders’ activities in the small town of Wilamowice

Dr Maria Małanicz-Przybylska
Journal of Urban Ethnology
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.23858/JUE19.2021.005

Abstract

Wilamowice, a small town located in Bielsko County, has an extremely interesting history and an ambiguous heritage. Its inhabitants, descendants of medieval Germanic settlers, for many centuries used their own language, which was incomprehensible to their neighbours, namely the Vilamovian language. They also
preserved their own customs and costumes. After the 2nd World War, the process of forgetting the Vilamovian heritage began. It was only in the 21st century that young activists from Wilamowice started to work on the revitalization of local culture. Their goal was to document and reconstruct selected elements of
local heritage. By involving the inhabitants of Wilamowice in various activities which they undertook, they influenced the way people perceived their own heritage and affected the process of constructing modern Vilamovian identity. In this article I analyse these ongoing processes of “intensive work of heritage”.

Keywords:

Wilamowice, heritage, tradition

Download files

Citation rules

Małanicz-Przybylska, M. (2021). Intensive work of heritage – local leaders’ activities in the small town of Wilamowice. Journal of Urban Ethnology, 19, 81–96. https://doi.org/10.23858/JUE19.2021.005

Cited by / Share

Licence


This website uses cookies for proper operation, in order to use the portal fully you must accept cookies.