News & events > Guidelines on Dealing with Collections from Colonial Contexts
21 Sep 2018

Guidelines on Dealing with Collections from Colonial Contexts

  The German Museums Association has recently published "Guidelines on Dealing with Collections from Colonial Contexts", the English version of a publication previously available in German. The publication, drafted by a working group of experts, is intended as a first edition and as a basis for discussion drawing on the needs, experiences and questions of German museums. It represents a first effort to develop a position concerning the complex and sensitive issue of colonial contexts in museums and collections. The German Museums Association is looking forward to lively discussions and strong feedback with respect to the challenges addressed in these guidelines. In this respect, the English version of the original German text of the guidelines is seen as essential for a meaningful international debate. As a first step, the members of the working group will discuss the guidelines with experts and representatives from different countries of origin in an internal workshop in October 2018. A second revised edition of the guidelines incorporating the perspectives discussed in the workshop will be published in German and English in spring 2019. Via the website of the German Museums Association, the public is also invited to submit reviews of the revised guidelines, which will thereafter be published online. Reviews of the first edition are welcome. If desired, they will be also published online on the Association's website and evaluated for following editions of the guidelines. Reviews should be sent to office@museumsbund.de. In order to download a copy of the "Guidelines on Dealing with Collections from Colonial Contexts" and contribute to the discussion, please visit https://www.museumsbund.de/publikationen/guidelines-on-dealing-with-collections-from-colonial-contexts/