Lucyna Przybylska

The purpose of the paper is the identification and description of factors affecting the process of sacralisation as well as the implementation of theoretical concepts in a case study of the Baltic city of Gdynia. The time range of the research is limited to the postwar period (1945–2013). It has been assumed that the formation of any religious landscape occurs under two main circumstances: (1) the need to express faith and (2) the opportunity to do it. The former is an internal factor and depends on religiosity, while the latter is closely related to politics, environment, economy and social life. A detailed scheme was constructed around this statement in the form of a mapping sentence. The research is based on qualitative measures which include field observation, analysis of source documents, and an analysis and criticism of bibliographic sources. Visual documentation and participant observation have also been used. There are two main conclusions coming out of this paper. Although any religious landscape is a mixture of different factors, by the 1980s the sacralisation of Gdynia was determined mainly by political factors, and later by economic and cultural ones. Furthermore, for three decades some tendencies, typical also for the whole country, have also been recognised in Gdynia: monumentalism, privatisation of sacred sites and the “John-Paul-the-Second-isation” of public spaces.

Christmas and Easter in the public space. The example of shop windows in Świętojańska Street in Gdynia

The aim of the article was to find an answer to the question about the presence of the religious aspect of Christmas and Easter in the public space. The field studies carried out in December 2015 and March 2016 showed a small share of Christmas and Easter decorations in the main shopping and service street, which is Świętojańska Street in Gdynia. In the case of Christmas, only 41% of shop windows had any Christmas-themed decorations, and before Easter, the percentage was only 13%. In December, commercial and service outlets were most often decorated with light strings and Christmas trees, and in March with eggs of various sizes, colours, and patterns. In a group of over 250 open outlets in Świętojańska Street, ornaments directly related to the sacred sphere (a manger, angel, Easter Lamb, cross, the words “Hallelujah” or “Christmas”) were present in only a few of them. Therefore, the traditional Christmas and Easter holidays in Poland are moderately emphasized and present in the public space of the main street. The statements are justified that in the pre-Christmas period in Świętojańska Street, firstly, there is no seasonal sacralization of the street space, and secondly, that traditional Christmas decorations are moderately exposed and some of them evoke mixed feelings among the authors of the study as to their aesthetic role. Keywords: Gdynia, Świętojańska Street, seasonal sacralization, Christmas, Easter holidays

Krzyże, kwiaty, znicze, a nawet nagrobki stojące w miejscu wypadku drogowego są częścią zjawiska określanego w literaturze światowej jako spontaniczne upamiętnienia (spontaneous memorialization) lub przydrożne pomniki (roadside memorials). Architekci, folkloryści, geografowie, psychologowie, socjologowie i inni naukowcy badają przydrożne pomniki pod względem wyglądu, lokalizacji, znaczenia dla ludzi, którzy je wystawili, nie zapominając o poszukiwaniu przyczyn ich pojawiania się we współczesnym świecie. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest próba odpowiedzi na pytanie, jakie czynniki determinują występowanie (powstanie i trwanie) miejsc pamięci przy drogach w Polsce. Chociaż wykorzystano głównie teksty wcześniej publikowane, to dane i ich interpretację zaprezentowano w nowym, oryginalnym zestawieniu. Struktura opracowania jest następująca: po zarysie literatury na temat spontanicznych miejsc pamięci zaprezentowano autorski model występowania tych miejsc przy drogach w Polsce, a następnie wybrane jego elementy szerzej omówiono w kolejnych trzech częściach artykułu.