Truth of the Place and Truth of the Exhibition: “Case Study” of the State Museum at Majdanek
Truth of the Place and Truth of the Exhibition: “Case Study” of the State Museum at Majdanek

Author(s): Jan Kutnik
Subject(s): Philosophy, Psychology, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Majdanek; Holocaust; museum; truth of place; exhibition
Summary/Abstract: The author discusses the problem of truth in museum exhibitions invoking the tragedy of World War II. In this respect, he is very appreciative of the value of Majdanek, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Stutthof and the other museums set up within the compounds of former Nazi German camps. Based on his own research from 2016–2019, he finds that shaping the relations between the truth of the place and the truth of the exhibition, skillfully using authenticity, and finding new forms of “speaking” to visitors are enormous challenges facing exhibitors.

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