Shades of Darkness: Politics, Objects, and Displays in Sighet’s Dark Heritage Sites
Shades of Darkness: Politics, Objects, and Displays in Sighet’s Dark Heritage Sites
Author(s): Teodora LazarSubject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, History, Anthropology, Social Sciences, Education, Jewish studies, Museology & Heritage Studies, Preservation, Education and training, Political Sciences, Civil Society, Sociology, Ethnohistory, Local History / Microhistory, Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Nationalism Studies, Sociology of Culture, History of Antisemitism, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Sociology of Politics, Identity of Collectives
Published by: Editura Universul Academic (SC GOOD LUCK SRL)
Keywords: dark heritage; Sighet; Communism; Holocaust; memorial museum; objects; exhibits; displays;
Summary/Abstract: This article explores the interpretation and communication of dark heritage in Sighetu Marmației, focusing on three sites: the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and Anti-Communist Resistance, Pauper’s Cemetery, and the Elie Wiesel Memorial House. We argue that these sites convey Romania’s dark heritage by being associated with events and histories of troubled pasts, namely the Communist oppression and the Holocaust. The analysis addresses how and to what extent objects, politics, and spatiality contribute to the making of a sense of darkness identified in these sites. The article argues that the darkness of these sites is shaped not only by their histories, but also by the narratives constructed around them through the museum exhibits and curation. The study reveals that while these sites aim to educate and memorialise, they also navigate complex political and social dynamics, influencing how their dark heritage is presented and perceived.
Journal: Revista Muzeelor
- Issue Year: 1/2024
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 91-106
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English
