Hadrian Ciechanowski

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Identity-Forming Factors in the Community of Historians on the Example of the Toruń Historical Community

In my paper, I will present the first results of a project conducted at the Faculty of History of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The project aimed to examine the factors constituting the identity of the historical environment of Toruń. During the project, interviews were conducted with historians (both active and retired), and we asked about their history and elements related to the creation of the community’s identity. The project’s second goal was to build the foundations of the so-called Faculty’s Oral History Archive. The analysis of the interviews allows us to identify specific factors, such as places, people, and relationships, that impacted the department’s functioning, the formation of interpersonal bonds, and a specific group identity.