The intricacies of memory : from Henri Bergson's theories to Marianne Hirsch’s concept of postmemory - a comparative study

The following article focuses on the comparison of the concept of memory created by Henri Bergson, a French philosopher who lived at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, and the theory of postmemory introduced by Marianne Hirsch almost a century later. The authoress recalls the development of both theories and describes them stressing the similarities they share (especially the importance of memory, its impact on person’s identity and the notion that only certain memories are remembered consciously and willingly), as well as differences between them. The main purpose of the presented article is to show the development and changes in memory studies over decades and to explain how these two concepts, separated in time and space, may correspond with one another.