On November 19 and 20, on the 70th anniversary of its functioning, the State Museum at Majdanek organises scientific conference entitled “Martyrological Museums in Europe. Space of Presenting and Experiencing History” under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The conference is closed. It will be held in Polish and German.

The conference aims at creating a discussion forum attempting to asses European museums at memorial sites from many points of view. The museum, scientific, social and cultural functions in the process of presentation and representation of the past take centre stage during the conference. In the discussion will participate professionals from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, France, and Poland. The conference will have a unique format – the same topic will be discussed by two speakers. It will give an opportunity to get familiar with Polish and foreign reflection about the most important issues concerning activities of martyrological museums. Museums on the grounds of the former German Nazi camps include not only cemeteries and traumatic landscapes alluding to dramatic events of the Second World War, but also institutions presenting historical exhibitions. Many of them lead intensified scholarly, educational and popularizing activities with the effects going beyond the museum borders. Nevertheless, the museums are perceived mainly as memorial sites, sometimes as tourist attractions, and rarely as elements of modern culture. Their reception depends mainly on the country in which they operate. Conference program Media patronage