Museums of Communism and the Story of a Stamp. A Review of the Dedicated Exhibitions in Brașov and Berlin Cover Image

Muzee ale comunismului și povestea unei ștampile. O recenzie a expozițiilor dedicate din Brașov și din Berlin
Museums of Communism and the Story of a Stamp. A Review of the Dedicated Exhibitions in Brașov and Berlin

Author(s): Adriana Avram
Subject(s): Anthropology, Cultural history, Museology & Heritage Studies, Archiving, Preservation, Other, Civil Society, Political history, Social history, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Adult Education, Applied Sociology, Sociology of Culture, Sociology of the arts, business, education, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Present Times (2010 - today), History of Communism, Post-Communist Transformation, Cultural Essay, Societal Essay, Scientific Life, Marketing / Advertising, Tourism, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Editura Universul Academic (SC GOOD LUCK SRL)
Keywords: communism museums; contemporary collecting; private museums; social practices; recent history

Summary/Abstract: This review aims to bring together two private museums whose theme is largely similar: life in a communist country. The exhibition of the Museum of Memories from Communism in Brașov responded to the shortcomings in Romanian state-owned museums to cover a timeframe from recent history. To put the exhibition into perspective, after I present it and consider its museological features, I briefly bring into discussion the DDR Museum from Berlin. I focus not only on the visible part of the two – that is, the exhibition, but I also go backstage after connecting with those responsible for these two private museological endeavors, in order to discern the collecting undertakings and their role in the wider frame of museums landscape in a former communist country. Finally, after my visiting experience with both exhibitions and an unwilling / unfortunate entanglement with communist practices that are still up and running (the almost-failure of having a form stamped), I reflect on the role of a museum in providing deeper understanding of socio-cultural practices that affect our (not only institutional) lives up to our days.

  • Issue Year: 1/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 205-216
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Romanian