ICOM International Council of Museums - International Institute for ...

Museology and New National Museums of History and CultureDr. Hans-Martin Hinz – GermanyExecutive Council of ICOM – German Historical Museum BerlinSummarySince the 1980s new museums of national history and culture have been founded inseveral post-industrial nations. Just recently the German Historical Museum opened itspermanent exhibition on 2000 years of German history. This was preceded by similarmuseums established in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Though theirmandates are different in the particular countries, they share significant commonalitiesthat distinguish them from the traditional national museums of the 19th century. Unlikethese latter museums, they no longer present history and culture as a golden by-goneera; rather, the exhibition conceptions follow more of a political-historical model ofexplanation and show the heights and depths of the history from diverse perspectiveson an equal footing. Above all they do not offer the visitors ready-made answers butrather stimulate the critical reflective and personal involvement with history and thuscontribute to the self-assurance of the people.In only the fewest cases was the discipline of museology a sort of godfather to thesenewly founded museums, even when ultimately they aligned themselves with thestandards of museology and the ICOM Code of Ethics. A cultural and political willbrought to bear on the museums externally was much more dominant -- namely the willto help stabilize diverse identities through critical reflection and education. Theenormous success of these museums among their visitors confirms the correctness ofthis cultural-political action in reacting to the societal needs of this day and age.Analytical museum studies classify this development of the museums under the theoryof “reflexive modernization” developed within sociology, also called the theory of the“Second Modernity”. According to this theory, the present distinguishes itself frommodernity and post-modernity through an enormous shift in values and traditions that ismarked by individualization, globalization and the search for sustainable developmentsof the earth. The new history museums satisfy this individual need for a recognition ofhistorical and cultural roots in adapting the culture of historical study to the currentsocietal challenges.These new history museums also confront their visitors with worlds of objects detachedfrom their historical surroundings. Objects function as exemplifications to approach anddocument the past and are not exhibited so much for their own sake. History is notreconstructed but rather processed through staged constructs so as to be able toincrease knowledge and above all to stimulate understanding and critical questioning.The German Historical Museum in Berlin – history newly presentedOn the 2nd of June, 2006, in Berlin, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened thepermanent exhibition on the 2000 years of German history, entitled “German History inImages and Testimonials“.The opening of this national museum for the Germans brought the preparations ofalmost two decades to a close, a process that was set in motion in 1987 with thefounding of the museum in West Berlin. Originally the museum was to be opened in the90s. However: history itself saw to it that the plans were to be fundamentally revised.15