Abstract
While this article does not oppose the current perspectives on history and memory, it calls for a more hermeneutic approach towards them. It is not only important to discern different levels of memory or history, but also to reflect on the way they come to us.
To prove its point, the article undertakes a "close reading" interpretation of Simon Schama's Landscape and Memory, particularly the first chapter, which is concerned with the fate of the Polish Białowieża forest. When read through hermeneutic lens, the book reveals itself to be an entire catalogue of different time perspectives, with the Białowieża forest standing as a symbol of stratifying, superimposing time, where diverse historical layers pile upon themselves.