Eunamus – European National Museums: Identity Politics, the Uses of the Past and the European Citizen

Now, that the EUNAMUS project is completed, 

three ways to get a quick overview of Eunamus’ findings and policy implications.

 From Bodil Axelsson,

·         National Museums Making Histories in a Diverse Europe. This summary report brings together key points from three years of research in short, clear texts and compelling photos. It covers the role of museums as a stabilizing force for the changing nation, the varied ways museums perform this role, their use of exhibition and narrative strategies, the way their histories are dependent on local political conditions, and the resultant silences that deny a complete or complex history. It includes a substantive discussion of the ways in which European national museums deal with conflict, promoting partisan division, obscurantist ignorance, or future-oriented reconciliation. It is available from this webpage:http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?searchId=2&pid=diva2:573632

·         Striking a Balance: How national museums can contribute to a socially cohesive Europe. This policy brief summarises Eunamus findings, gives away research parameters, and includes recommendations for policy makers: http://www.eunamus.eu/Firstpage/striking.pdf

·         Short introductions to Eunamus nine open access reports are available in this pamphlet: http://www.eunamus.eu/Firstpage/eunamus_reports.pdf

·         The entire project’s rich set of case studies and reports are available from the Eunamus website at http://www.eunamus.eu/outcomes.html

Among the most recent reports are

·         Voices from the Museum: Qualitative Research Conducted in Europe’s National Museums. Jocelyn Dodd, Ceri Jones, Andy Sawyer and Maria-Anna Tseliou. This study presents the findings from interviews and focus groups carried out at six European national museums with visitors and minority groups. It looks at the connections that can be made between national, European and minority identities and how these frame very different experiences of the national museum. Available from this webpage:http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?searchId=1&pid=diva2:572100

·         National Museums and the Negotiation of Difficult Pasts. Conference Proceedings from EUNAMUS Brussels 26-27 January 2012. Dominique Poulot, José Maria Lanzarote Gurial & Felicity Bodenstein (eds). The papers examine museum policies in dealing with conflicts of displaced communities or contested religious heritage; the role national museums play in handling historical issues that are socially and politically sensitive; and cases related to restitution. Available from this webpage:http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp_home/index.en.aspx?issue=082

·         Entering the Minefields: the Creation of New History Museums in Europe. Conference Proceedings from EUNAMUS Brussels 25 January 2012. Bodil Axelsson, Christine Dupont & Chantal Kesteloot (eds). This collection presents four inside stories from the Deutsches Historisches Museum, the Polish History Museum, the House of European History and the Maison de l'Histoire de France (launched during the 2007 Presidential campaign and closed after the political shift 2012). It turns out that new history museums and critical research respond in similar ways to pressures from governments and funders. Among the responses are professional networking, the promotion of dialogues, and the sharing and accepting of a plurality of legitimate standpoints and identities. Available from this webpage: http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp_home/index.en.aspx?issue=083