A Monumental Reinterpretation: Deciphering the Meanings of Rzeszów's Monument to the Revolutionary Act

This article evaluates the multifaceted meanings of Rzeszów's Monument to the Revolutionary Act to understand how decommunization is taking place in Poland locally. Using Alexander Etkind's framework of memory hardware and software to interpret the monument's physical symbolism and its appearance in local discourses, the article analyzes various memory events in which the meaning of the monument is contested and competing identity claims are advanced. By doing so, the article explores the limitations of legislating the past and the fluid function of monuments in the formation of city brands and identities.