Museums Narrating the Nation: Case Studies from Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Abstract

A museum that represents a community’s history and culture has the ability to influence visitors’ perceptions of that community in the present. In this paper, museums in Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina are examined as case studies to better understand how museums narrate national identity to visitors, both domestic and international. Critical analysis of exhibits reveals that museum narratives often project the image of singular national identities. Meanwhile, they may deny the history of place of other contemporary or historic communities. In Greece, museums project a ‘Greek’ identity based on Classical, Byzantine, and post-Ottoman history. Museums in Bosnia-Herzegovina emphasize a unifying, shared history of the state’s three main ethnic communities without recognizing the profound differences felt between these communities today. These institutions encourage visitors to imagine the nation in a singular manner, without recognizing contemporary or historic diversity. Through these case studies, I interrogate the role of national museums in contemporary society, and consider the implications of transforming representational practices.