Między kanonem a archiwum — o systematyzacji i klasyfikacji miejsc pamięci

The final element in a commemoration process is often considered to be a memorial plaque, monument, or museum. However, what precedes the creation of these material forms, or what happens to their message after they disappear or are transferred to the periphery of public interest, is often the most interesting for a researcher. The purpose of this article is to systematize and classify different forms of memorial sites by treating them as material and imaginary historical phenomena. By referring to the concept of functional and storage memory, as well as to Aleida Assman’s concepts of the canon and the archive, the article presents the stages in the production of memorial sites: from the first idea, through creation, to the moment when they cease to exist or are obliterated from the collective consciousness.