Polish Memorial Places - changes in interpretation and problems of protection in the 21st century

The paper discusses the concept of the place of memory, its scope, and associated associations and social in subsequent historical periods. Changes in understanding this term and different shaping of different places of memory in subsequent historical periods were also presented, as well as different interpretations of events that commemorated, which influenced their different organization and different social perception.
Analyzing the functioning of Polish places of memory in the twentieth century should be noted frequent and profound changes their meaning and social acceptance. Interpretation of events and forms of commemoration was dependent on the current social and political situation. Even a small change in the political situation caused significant changes in the interpretation of memorial sites and their propaganda. Nevertheless, places of memory have become important carriers of memory. Their manifestations were very innovative memorial projects both in the form of monuments (monuments in given concentration camps - Oświęcim, Majdanek, Treblinka), as well as great spatial compositions (new buildings commemorating the Warsaw ghetto), which were created after 1945.