Małgorzata Grąbczewska (Royal Łazienki Museum in Warsaw)
Referring to Maurice Halbawchs’ concept and its subsequent critique, the author will present how the Royal Łazienki Museum combines the great history of the site – the residence of the last king of Poland and the authorities of the first Polish republic – with the personal history of the staff and visitors to the Łazienki. The “Photo-Souvenirs” project is based on the idea of social archives and responds to the contemporary need to involve the public in the creation of the institution’s programme, stemming in part from the new definition of the museum. The author will show how the collected material is a source of knowledge, inspiration and activities where memory – individual and collective – is at the centre.