Conference – Living with War

In collaboration with NIOD, SMH 40-45 and Platform WW2.

Museums as open forums for more impact

How do societies – then and now – deal with the impact and memory of war, mass violence and human rights violations, and what role do Memorial Museums play in this regard? The conference theme Living with War focuses on the long-lasting (psychosocial) impact of both historical as well as current events. Events from the 20th century, such as World War II and the Holocaust in particular, continue to have a long-term impact on societies and individuals. At the same time in countries around the world today, democratic values are being violated; people are persecuted because of their political ideas, gender, religion, race and/or social background; and wars, conflicts, genocides and other forms of mass violence are happening. The conference also aims to explicitly address these current wars and threats to human rights. Living with War is about how experiences and memories of war and violence can remain part of people’s lives, and can be transmitted through generations. How can museums, now and in the future, address memories and experiences of war and violence in a meaningful way

We invite you to participate

The conference adopts an interdisciplinary approach with ample room for challenging insights, stimulating visions, discussion and interaction. This conference asks museums to look critically at their own role and consider whether and how they can actively contribute to public debates on issues such as human rights, peace, freedom and democracy. By offering varied experiences for education, changing perspectives, reflection and knowledge sharing, museums can improve their role as learning spaces. Together we will explore best practices.

Visiting program

As part of the conference, the visiting program offers an excellent opportunity to learn about Dutch memorial museums and memorial sites. A large number of institutions have recently radically changed and adapted their museum presentation, such as the Anne Frank House and the Resistance Museum Amsterdam.  The impressive Holocaust Names Monument by Daniel Liebeskind was unveiled in Amsterdam in 2021 and the new National Holocaust Museum will soon open its doors. Furthermore, a visit to The Hague is scheduled to include the Peace Palace there.

Everybody is welcome to attend the conference, you don’t have to be an ICMEMO/ICOM member. Contact us! info@icmemoconference2023.com

Click here for more information about the conference.