Explication of "places/museums of conscience" in the context of memory culture

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the role and place of “museum of conscience” in modern politics of memory and cultural space. The methodology is based on a comprehensive study of a wide range of museum expositions (interviews, reports, museum projects, reviews of museum collections, etc.) and generalization of the obtained material to identify current trends in the development of "museums of conscience" in the context of memory culture. Scientific novelty. On the example of specific museum research institutions (the Sixth District Museum in Cape Town, the Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, USA), the Museum of Military Childhood in Sarajevo, etc.) for the first time in Ukrainian historiography, their contribution to the process of deeper study of crimes of the past and its reflection in modern politics of memory and cultural space is analyzed. Conclusions: Places of conscience are museums, memorials, and other historical places, which aim not only to preserve memory but also to stimulate people’s conscience. While working with a visitor, they prefer forms that contribute to the involvement of a visitor in discussion and dialogue. The museum exhibit serves as a safe place to discuss sharp issues and reconcile conflicting parties in society. The museum collection and the results of its research are distributed in order to stimulate the human conscience. The task of the museums is not only to preserve the memory about the crimes of the past but also to provide an opportunity for a visitor to establish a connection between this past and today’s struggle for human rights.