Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. This book reveals how national museums are tied to nations and deciphers their role in the nation building process. It demonstrates how nations conducted energetic and vigorous campaigns to nationalize their newly founded states and how they became engaged in civic education with the help of their national museums. The book mainly uses material from the Eunamus research programme and compares actors and interests that established national museum institutions on the national agenda across Europe. It assesses the actual role of European museums and highlights the formative moments in museum history. National museums vary in the degree in which they contribute actively to the formation of nation-states, help stabilize policymaking by negotiating dilemmas and conflicts or fail to play an instrumental role due to incapacity.