Museums

Abstract

Memorial museums are a key mechanism for societies attempting to confront and come to terms with the memory of a difficult past. As both memorials and museums, they combine the educative and narrative functions of history with the affect of memory to convey lessons from the past in a way that attempts to ethically transform their visitors and societies. Memorial museums are thus important players in the politics of memory. However, many memorial museums are created or supported by the state, which can constrain their abilities to engage in memory activism that challenges official narratives. Using examples of memorial museums around the world, this chapter examines the potential and limits of memorial museums to engage in memory activism and shape politics and social cohesion in the societies in which they are built.