Migration in Museums: Narratives of Diversity in Europe

Date: October 23-25, 2008 - Location: Berlin (in participating museums)

Organizers:
Network Migration in Europe e. V.
International Council of Museums Europe (ICOM)
Centre de Documentation sur les Migrations Humaines (Dudelange Luxemburg)

Participating Museums:
Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen
Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde
Jüdisches Museum Berlin
Jugendmuseum Schöneberg
Kreuzberg Museum
Museum Neukölln
Stadtmuseum Berlin / Märkisches Museum

Dates/Locations: Opening Meeting (October 23): Kreuzberg Museum
Workshops (October 23/24): in participating museums
Concluding Meeting (October 25): Jüdisches Museum Berlin
Public evening keynote Lecture (October 25): Jüdisches Museum Berlin

The conference Migration in Museums: Narratives of Diversity in Europe aims at intensifying the dialogue on migration, historical memory and identity in Europe. About 100 museum experts, scholars, artists and representatives of immigrant communities from over 20, mostly European countries will convene at seven Berlin museums and will explore new modes of representing histories of people on the move. They will share their experience and expertise on topics such as the transnationalization of perspectives, the challenges of museums working with communities, the potential and pitfalls of all-inclusive migration narratives and the possible contribution of museums to political empowerment and social cohesion in diverse societies. The conference will establish new ways of thinking, new links between experts, concepts, ideas and new perspectives in order to foster the adequate representation of migration – past and present – in European museums.