The Crosses of Auschwitz: Nationalism and Religion in Post-Communist Poland

Auschwitz and the museum it houses provide the state with an important venue for articulating, legitimating, and propagating its official interpretation of the Polish nation as it is woven into the narrative of World War Il atrocities. Against the macro-analytical biases of this literature, Zubrzycki proffers a complementary microanalytical perspective combining semiotic and discursive elements; against the grand narratives of Polish nationalism, Zubrzycki gives her readers a focused snapshot of the war of the crosses; and against topdown explanations, Zubrzycki balances her elite-centered approach with insights into the perspectives and activities of ordinary people.