Conference paper
MUSEUMS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE AFTER–WAR CROATIA
Ivo Maroević
; Faculty of Philosophy, Zagreb
Abstract
During the recent war in Croatia a great deal of natural and cultural environment as well as economic and infrastructural objects have been heavily damaged. The environment has changed drastically. Great sufferings and numerous human victims have been increased by resettling and the loss of home. At the same time, the processes of transition, privatization and organizing of the new state structure have been at work. The loss of traditional geographic and social environment and the coming back to the home which often does not exist any more and which is reduced to a new ready–made house with the new ready–made furniture give rise to specific problems in the development of local communities in nearly all Croatian regions. Similar problems also arise when people settle down in the areas where other people lived before.
As one of the bearers of local cultural identity, the museum will play an important role in the reintegration of people into their original environment and in the formation of a new identity. Museum collections will be first formed of those things that can contribute to the feeling of solidarity, which is especially true of communities where such collections either do not exist or have never existed. Those museums which existed in the past are coming back into their communities and are resuming their activities. They are to collect new materials to witness about the changes that have taken place in their natural, social and cultural environment. Visiting exhibitions, the social events such as exhibition openings, the re¬construction of historical buildings and new ways of communicating tradition will give rise to new social interactions. The great value of small things and their connection with everyday life will be affirmed. Transposed in the museum, these things are going to became entire witnesses of their time.
Keywords
Croatian defensive war; local community; museum
Hrčak ID:
141510
URI
Publication date:
15.1.1997.
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