Conference article

National Museums in Serbia: A story of Intertwined Identities

Show more +

Published: 2011-09-30

ISBN:

ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)

Abstract

In our paper; we are analyzing five museums as the comparative objects of research aimed at exploring the processes of identity- and state-building in Serbia over the course of the last two centuries. These museums are: the National Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art; the Museum of Yugoslav History; the Museum of African Art; and the Museum of the Victims of Genocide. We defined these museums in terms of the official interpretational discourses and the roles they perform in society both in synchronic and diachronic terms — the latter in particular often being expressed by a range of meanings and functions. These museums have been chosen for closer examination because they represent rather paradigmatic examples of both the institutions and narrative-producers; within the process of identity and state building in Serbia; which have been developed over the course of last two centuries. We analyzed the periods of nineteenth century nation-state building; as well as the twentieth century formation of Yugoslavia and the construction of socialism. Special attention; however; was put on contemporary Serbian society and the relationships between the museum protagonists and museum narratives. Surely; an integral part of the research includes a number of changes and transitions within museum policies and narratives; along with hidden; ‘deaf’ historical events or cultural phenomena that have not been represented in Serbian museums so far.

The main analytical points and conclusions of the research are: the national museums in Serbia have played important roles within the complexity of representational discourse; which included the nation-building processes. Museum practices constructed national identity as a multifaceted entity; being based on a variety of perspectives: historical; archaeological; ethnological; anthropological; artistic and geographical. However; the museums have produced changeable visions of collective identity; mainly as a result of ideological and political context. Yet museum practices have not merely reflected certain ideological frameworks and political realities; but rather represented constitutive elements of ideological and political context.

Secondly; our analysis is based on a wider understanding of the term ‘national museum’ and the explanation of the museum network in Serbia; as a complex; interdependent system of policies and narratives; which have a crucial role in the process of identity-building in Serbia. The network has been structured according to the simultaneity of several metanarratives: revolution; state-building; modernization/Europeanization; national authenticity/indigenousness; etc.

Finally; our analysis shows that museum policies and narratives have been based on three general paradigms related to nation-and state-construction processes; each of them being heavily dependent upon interpretational discourse and firmly anchored to ideological and political context. The first one is the paradigm of exceptionalism and uniqueness; the second is the one that supports a rather mediatory concept of national identity; and the third paradigm establishes new interpretations of different historical processes.

Keywords

No keywords available

References

Aleksov; B. (2010) Nazareni medju Srbima; Verska trvnja u juznoj Ugarskoj i Srbiji od 1850. do 1914.; Belgrade: Zavod za udžbenike.

Aleksov; B. (2006) ’Religious Dissent between the Modern and the National; Nazarenes in Hungary and Serbia 1850 – 1914’; Balkanologische Veroffentlichungen; 43; Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag.

Allcock; J. B. (2004) Explaining Yugoslavia; New York: Columbia University Press.

Bakic; J. (2004) Ideologije jugoslovenstva izmedju srpskog i hrvatskog nacionalizma 1918-1941. Sociološko-istorijska studija; Zrenjanin: Gradska biblioteka.

Banac; I. (1988) The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins; History; Politics; Ithaca; NY; and London: Cornell University Press.

Bogetic; D. (1990) Koreni jugoslovenskog opredeljenja za nesvrstanost; Belgrade: Institut za savremenu istoriju.

Boškovic; Dj. (1936) ’Muzej kneza Pavla’; Srpski književni glasnik’; XLII; 3: 231-234.

Bulajic; M. (2003) Deset godina Muzeja zrtava genocida nad Srbima; Jevrejima i Romima (Beograd 1992 — 2002); Belgrade: Fond za istraživanje genocida; Strucna knjiga.

Ciric; S. (1999) ’Muzej savremene umetnosti: kuca duhova’; Vreme: 461.

Cirkovic; S. (2004) Srbi medju evropskim narodima; Belgrade: Equilibrium.

—— (2004) The Serbs; Malden: Blackwell.

Cubric; Lj. (2009) ’Postavka Istorijskog odeljenja’; in T. Cvjeticanin (ed.); Muzej kneza Pavla; Belgrade: Narodni muzej; 194-201.

Dedijer; V. (1978) Sarajevo 1914; Belgrade: Prosveta.

Dimic; Lj. (1997) Kulturna politike Kraljevine Jugoslavije: 1918-1941; 1-3; Belgrade: Stubovi kulture.

Djokic; D. (ed.) (2003) Yugoslavism: Histories of a Failed Idea; 1918-1992; London: Hurst.

Duncan; C. (1995) Civilizing Rituals: Inside Public Art Museums; London and New York: Routledge.

Ekmecic; M. (1989) Stvaranje Jugoslavije; 1780-1918; 1-3; Belgrade: Prosveta.

Finkel; C. (2003) The Story of the Ottoman Empire; 1300-1923; London: John Murray.

Ham-Milovanovic; L. (2009) ‘Galerija Muzeja kneza Pavla’; in in T. Cvjeticanin (ed.); Muzej kneza Pavla; Belgrade: Narodni muzej; 164-193.

Hobsbawm; E. (1997) ‘Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe; 1870-1914’; in E. Hobsbawm; T. Ranger (eds); The Invention of Tradition; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ignjatovic; A. (2009) ‘Arhitektura Novog dvora i Muzej kneza Pavla’; in in T. Cvjeticanin (ed.); Muzej kneza Pavla; Belgrade: Narodni muzej; 58-89.

—— (2010) ‘From Constructed Memory to Imagined National Tradition: Tomb of the Unknown Yugoslav Hero (1934-1938)’; Slavonic and East European Review; 88; 4: 624- 651.

—— (2011) ‘The Museum Building’; in T. Cvjeticanin and K. Todorovic (eds); The Prince Paul Museum; Belgrade: National Museum; 181-193.

Jaszi; O. (1929) The Dissolution of the Habsburg Monarchy; Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.

K. R. (1998) ‘Jovan Despotovic piše Ministarstvu kulture. Slika neslavnog stanja’; Vreme: 427.

Kann; R. A. (1980) A History of the Habsburg Empire 1526-1918; Berkley: University of California Press.

Kašanin; M. (1936) ‘Muzej kneza Pavla’; Jugoslovenski istorijski casopis; II: 1-4; 421-430.

—— (1937) ‘Le Musée Prince Paul de Belgrade’; Mouseion: 39-40; 168-179.

—— (1938) Muzej kneza Pavla. Moderna umetnost; Belgrade: Muzej kneza Pavla.

Kolaric; : (1991) ‘Narodni muzej u Beogradu 1844-1944. Kratak istorijat’; Muzeološke sveske; 4.

Lampe; J. R. (2000) Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a Country; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Manojlovic Pintar; O. (2009) ‘On gifts and gift giving’; in The Tito Effect; Charisma as Political Legitimacy; Belgrade: Museum of Yugoslav History.

Manojlovic; T. (1936) ‘Znacaj Muzeja kneza Pavla’; Beogradske opštinske novine; 54; 2; 181- 182.

Mano-Zisi; Ð. (1954); ‘Narodni muzej u Beogradu’; Godišnjak Muzeja grada Beograda; I: 307- 316.

—— (1964-1965) ‘Sto dvadeset godina postojanja i dvadeset posleratnih godina Narodnog muzeja u Beogradu’; Godišnjak Muzeja grada Beograda; XI-XII: 343-356.

Mantran; R. (ed.) (1989) Histoire de l’Empire ottoman; Paris: Fayard.

Mitrovic; A. (1974) Vreme netrpeljivih; politicka istorija velikih država Evrope 1919-1939; Belgrade: Srpska književna zadruga.

—— (1984) Srbija u Prvom svetskom ratu; Belgrade: Srpska književna zadruga.

—— (2007) Serbia’s Great War 1914-1918; West Lafayette; IN: Purdue University Press.

—— (2011) Prodor na Balkan; Srbija u planovima Austro-Ugarske i Nemacke 1908- 1918; Belgrade: Zavod za udžbenike.

—— (2009b) ‘Knez Pavlje Karadordevic — ljubitelj umetnosti’; in T. Cvjeticanin (ed.); Muzej kneza Pavla; Belgrade: Narodni muzej; 252-268.

—— (2011) ‘The Making of a Museum’; in T. Cvjeticanin and K. Todorovic (eds); The Prince Paul Museum; Belgrade: National Museum; 15-56.

Sundhaussen; H. (2007) Geschichte Serbiens 19-21; Juhrhunderts; Wien; Köln and Weimar: Böhlau.

The Tito Effect; Charisma as political legitimacy (2009); Belgrade: Museum of Yugoslav History.

Timotijevic; M . and Mihailovic; R. (2004) Katarina Ivanovic; Belgrade: Vojnoizdavacki zavod; Narodni muzej.

Timotijevic; M. (2006) Radjanje moderne privatnosti; privatni život Srba u Habzburškoj monarhiji od kraja 17. do pocetka 19 veka; Belgrade: Clio.

Valtrovic; M. (1905) ’Narodni muzej’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XVIII; 201-236.

Vasic; M. (1908) ’Izveštaj o stanju i radu u Narodnom muzeju u god. 1907’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XXI: 250-324.

—— (1909) ’Narodni muzej u 1908’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XXII: 147-179.

—— (1910) ’Narodni muzej u 1909’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XXIII: 160-195.

—— (1911) ’Narodni muzej u 1910’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XXIV: 258-284.

Velickovic; M. (1985) ’Narodni muzej za vreme uprave Mihaila Valtrovica (1881-1905)’; Zbornik Narodnog muzeja; VIII: 611-645.

Petkovic; V. (1927) ’Historisko-umetnicki muzej u 1926. god.’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XXXV: 294-300.

—— (1932)’Historisko-umetnicki muzej u 1932. god.’; Godišnjak srpske kraljevske akademije; XLI: 208-217.

Zakon o osnivanju muzeja žrtava genocida (2005); in Službeni glasnik RS; no. 49/92; 53/93; 48/94; 101.

Citations in Crossref