Prawo, historia a pamięć zbiorowa. Odwołania do przeszłości w preambułach do konstytucji Łotwy i Węgier na tle innych państw postkomunistycznych

Abstract

SUMMARY Law, history and collective memory. References to the past in the preambles to the Constitution of Latvia and Hungary in comparison with other post-communist countriesThe main task of the text is a comparative presentation of the legal methods for the petrification of the historical narrations after the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe. The purpose is mainly to show how M. Halbwachs concepts of collective memories creation are in use in the preambles to Latvia and Hungarian constitutions. These two acts are presented in comparison to constitutional acts from some other post-communist states from the region such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania. Another important problem is related to the question of why in fact states are deciding to use such a tool inside their constitutions.Key words: legal petrifi cation of the past, history after democratic transition, Central and Eastern European constitutions, collective memory after the communism.Słowa kluczowe: prawna petryfi kacja pamięci, historia po przejściu ustrojowym, konstytucjonalizm w Europie Środkowej i Wschodniej, pamięć zbiorowa po komunizmie.