Critical Patriotism, A Form of Constitutional Patriotism, à La Polonaise?

This paper will show how a new conceptualization of patriotism emerged in Poland within the public debate following the publication of Jan Tomasz Gross’ book Sąsiedzi (Neighbours), in 2000. The book discussed the question of a pogrom of Jewish inhabitants of Jedwabne, by their Polish neighbors, on 10/07/1941, which after the war was blamed on the Nazis. Despite some modest attempts at uncovering the truth about this pogrom starting in the 1980s, Gross was the first one to shake the established Polish historical consciousness and ‘obsession of innocence’ and promote reflection about collective responsibility for past crimes. The subject of the Jedwabne debate often brought a comparison to the German Historikerstreit. I will demonstrate that the emerging concept of critical patriotism, sometimes compared to constitutional patriotism, remains strongly rooted in national history. With time, the radical conservatives overpower it with their affirmative patriotism, while its proponents call it ‘mature’.