ABSTRACT

Eastern European ex-communist countries have developed an ambivalent attitude towards cultural heritage due to their historical and socio-political characteristics. Twentieth-century heritage was exposed to a unique set of circumstances in the countries of Eastern Europe as they developed politically through and beyond the communist era. The meta-narrative is a typical modern ‘form’ of interpretation, but also a recognizable characteristic of totalitarian systems. The mission of museums is to inspire good. Considering difficult heritage from the near past, it is important that musealization is focused on encouraging the public to conduct personal research. The musealization of difficult heritage is especially charged with revealing images and characters that reflect the burden of personal decisions in the insecure times of war, and their workings in favour of the fellow man and the community. Places of memories and museums are places dedicated primarily to personal reflection on universal human values and contemplation on questions of ethics and morality.