Title: Horizons of Migration Museums – PDF
Abstract: This article explores the evolving role of migration museums as dynamic cultural institutions that engage with contemporary debates on mobility, identity, and belonging. Drawing from case studies across Europe, it examines how museological practices have shifted in response to global socio-political changes, including postcolonial critique, digitization, and participatory approaches. The paper highlights the tension between state-driven narratives and bottom-up initiatives, showing how migration museums negotiate national identity while incorporating diverse migrant voices. It also addresses the spatial and symbolic functions of these museums—whether housed in historic migration infrastructures or created as new forums of dialogue. Ultimately, the study underscores the potential of migration museums to serve as transformative public spaces for plural memory and social cohesion in the face of rising nationalism and cultural polarization.
Authors: SMIDOVÁ, Michaela – PEKÁRKOVÁ, Eliška – ŠABEK, Jiří
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17846/SHN.2026.30.1.236-254
Publication order reference: Michaela Smidova – National Museum, Centre for Presentation of Cultural Heritage National Museum of the Czech Republic, Vaclavske naměsti 1700/68, 110 00 Praha 1 – Nove Město, Czech Republic, mail: michaela.smidova@nm.cz – corresponding author
Eliška Pekarkova – National Museum, Department of Education and Cultural Activities, Vaclavske naměsti 1700/68, 110 00 Praha 1 – Nove Město, Czech Republic, mail: eliska.pekarkova@nm.cz
Jiři Šabek – Czech Ministry of the Interior, Department of Asylum and Migration Policy, Nad Štolou 3, Poštovni schranka 21, 170 34 Praha 7, Czech Republic, mail: jiri.sabek@mvcr.cz
Source: Studia Historica Nitriensia, year: 2026, vol.: 30, number: 1, pages: 236-254
Keywords: Migration Museums; Cultural Memory; Museology; National Identity; Postcolonialism;
Language: English
Funding: