Cieszyn Friendship Bridge and Its Ghosts: The Changing Role of a Bridge That Unites and Divides Two Countries

Cieszyn, once a unified town and regional center, is now divided between Poland and Czechia, with the Olza River marking the international border. The Friendship Bridge spans the river and reflects the evolving dynamics of Polish-Czech relations. This article examines the bridge’s shifting symbolic and social significance – transitioning from a militarized frontier to a site of remembrance and reconciliation. Drawing on interviews, autoethnography, archival sources, and media accounts, I analyze how political events such as the fall of communism, European integration, and the COVID-19 pandemic have been inscribed into the spatial and social fabric of the bridge, shaping local identity. Through an exploration of urban elements, memories, and narratives – conceptualized as the “ghosts of the bridge” and framed within the theoretical lens of hauntology –, the article demonstrates how the bridge mediates contested histories and enables ongoing negotiations of collective memory and belonging.