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EDITOR’S NOTES

2024-10-22T00:00:53+02:00

This special issue delves into the complexities of decolonization efforts within museums across Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. These regions, frequently overlooked in global conversations on provenance research and restitution politics, present unique historical and cultural challenges. The focus of this issue is on how museums in these areas engage with their collections – collections
shaped by imperialism, internal colonialism, and ideological legacies.
Through a series of case studies and theoretical explorations, this issue aims to shed light on how these museums are confronting their pasts and reevaluating their roles in contemporary cultural and political landscapes.

The Museum Of Anthropology And Ethnography Saint Petersburg And The Temporalization Of The Russian Empire

2024-10-22T00:05:19+02:00

Focusing on imperial depictions of the Amur region, this article examines the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Saint Petersburg (MAE) as a central agent in the production and institutionalization of images of empire. Within the walls of this museum, the imperial elites of Saint Petersburg-based geographers, ethnographers, curators, and museum visitors imagined and constructed the only recently conquered far-eastern portion of the Russian Empire as not only a spatially, but also temporally remote place. Carefully arranged according to the logic of evolutionary anthropology, the exhibition resonated well with the interests of the avant-garde artist and art critic Vladimir Markov, who searched for “primitive art” and visited the collection in 1913. Influenced by the most recent publications of his contemporaries on the interconnections between aesthetics and psychology, Markov found that the objects perfectly embodied the pureness and timelessness he was looking for.

The Ambivalence Of Museum Discourses About “The Other" In Slovenia During The Non-Aligned Movement

2024-10-22T00:11:17+02:00

The author focuses on the exhibition narratives that were produced at the Museum of Non-European Cultures which operated between 1964 and 2001 as a dislocated unit of the Slovene Ethnographic Museum. Situated in the baroque Goričane mansion near Ljubljana, Slovenia, it was the first institution in Yugoslavia dedicated to collecting and presenting non-European ethnological heritage. Through its own and visiting exhibitions the Goričane Museum shaped various narratives about the other. Some served to build affinity with other continents and their people, others to move away from them, closer to the developed West. The author examines the exhibition narratives that helped shape national identity and support the idea of belonging to the civilized West.

Caught Between “Mundane West And Medieval Orient”

2024-10-22T00:17:32+02:00

From 1935 to 1939, Gustav Adolf Küppers embarked on ethnographic collecting trips throughout the Balkans, aiming to preserve what he deemed threatened “native culture”. His acquisitions, now housed in the Museum of European Cultures (Museum Europäischer Kulturen – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, MEK), reflect both the museum’s interest and ethnography’s interest in regions well within Europe. While Küppers‘s trips were selfinitiated, questions arise about the ideological and political influences behind his collecting practices. Despite lacking colonial contexts in a constitutional sense, scrutiny of the collection‘s provenance and its representation of the region is crucial. Thus, the text aims to both enhance and contextualize our knowledge about Küppers‘s motivations, the museum‘s objectives, and the ideological currents at play.

Decolonizing Narratives

2024-10-22T00:22:02+02:00

In the last few decades, ethnographic museums in Europe have witnessed a change in curatorial and display practices. With critical attention to differentiation and Othering resulting from the interconnected experiences of imperialism and coloniality, the role and responsibility of museums is evolving, intended at decolonizing exhibitions and narratives. However, the impact of decolonial approaches in those museum exhibitions in Europe, where colonial contexts are indirect, i.e., not involving territorial occupation, remains underexplored. This paper aims to critically analyse one such less explored context, focusing on Indian collections in German museums. Taking the case of Indian collections in the erstwhile Prussian State holdings in Berlin (now housed in the Humboldt Forum), it traces the historical, institutional, and sociopolitical contexts in which they were acquired and continue to be displayed. This discussion is interlaced with interest in Indology–the study of Indian culture, history, and literature, which gained momentum in the 19th century. Engaging a theoretical-analytical lens, the paper examines how colonial knowledge systems shaped certain narratives and how they are reflected inthe current exhibition. Moreover, it explores the use of contemporary strategies, influenced by the ongoing decolonizing discourses and their impact on presenting the story of Indian collections in German museums today.

The Deadlock Of The Decolonization Of Museums

2024-10-22T00:25:34+02:00

Museums have traditionally served as custodians of cultural heritage, yet their history is inextricably linked with colonialism, often involving the acquisition of artefacts through coercion, exploitation, and violence. This article explores the complex and controversial legacy of national museums, particularly those with colonial histories, as they confront increasing demands for decolonization. By examining the historical context, including pivotal events such as the Berlin Conference and the Scramble for Africa, this article highlights the systemic looting and cultural destruction that have shaped these institutions. The analysis focuses on the ongoing global movement towards restitution and the challenges museums face in addressing their colonial pasts, exemplified by the British Museum and the Humboldt Forum. The latter, inaugurated in 2021, symbolizes the persistent influence of colonialism and the difficulties in achieving genuine decolonization. Despite efforts towards restitution and inclusivity, museums continue to grapple with deeply rooted colonial legacies, raising questions about their ability and willingness to undergo fundamental transformation. This article underscores the need for a comprehensive reassessment of museum practices and narratives, advocating for a more equitable approach to cultural preservation and representation.