Museums of Communism: New Memory Sites in Central and Eastern Europe

Museums of Communism explores the complicated intersection of history, commemoration, and victimization made evident in these museums constructed after 1991, focusing on memories and stories of shared victimization under communist rule.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 442 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2020
Publisher: Indiana University Press

The fall of communism was a significant historical event that had a profound impact on communities around the world. In order to understand and commemorate this event, many former communist countries constructed museums dedicated to chronicling their experiences. These museums, known as "Museums of Communism," explore the complicated intersection of history, commemoration, and victimization made evident in these museums constructed after 1991.

While contributors from a diverse range of fields explore various museums and include nearly 90 photographs, a common denominator emerges: rather than focusing on artifacts and historical documents, these museums often privilege memories and stories. In doing so, the museums shift attention from experiences of guilt or collaboration to narratives of shared victimization under communist rule. As editor Stephen M. Norris demonstrates, these museums are often problematic at best and revisionist at worst.

From occupation museums in the Baltic States to memorial museums in Ukraine, former secret police prisons in Romania, and nostalgic museums of everyday life in Russia, the sites considered offer new ways of understanding the challenges of separating memory and myth.

The fall of communism was a complex and multifaceted event that had far-reaching consequences for individuals, communities, and countries. Museums of Communism provide a valuable opportunity to explore these complexities and to better understand the legacy of communism in the 21st century.

Weight: 704g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780253050328