The portrayal of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Germany’s museums is marked by censorship of voices critical of Israeli policy and military actions. Consequently, Palestinian...Show moreThe portrayal of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Germany’s museums is marked by censorship of voices critical of Israeli policy and military actions. Consequently, Palestinian perspectives are often excluded. This phenomenon can be linked to the Holocaust memory which permeates a culture of guilt and reconciliation toward Jewish communities and therefore informs solidarity with Israel. In the following text, I intend to analyze how the conflict was conceptualized and incorporated into the exhibition Goldstein’s Traum in 2019 at the Mahn und Gedenkstaette Duesseldorf. After an analysis of the exhibition’s content and overall narrative, I argue that the exclusion of Palestinian perspectives and the censorship of some aspects of the photographer’s critique can be linked to the cultural purpose of the Mahn und Gedenkstaette as a Memorial museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and its dependence on public support.Show less
The Florence Flood of 1966 resulted in the destruction and damage of an enormous array of material cultural heritage many of which were part of the Western cannon of art history. The sustained...Show moreThe Florence Flood of 1966 resulted in the destruction and damage of an enormous array of material cultural heritage many of which were part of the Western cannon of art history. The sustained international response of the community of conserva- tion and preservation professionals during the lengthy process of restoration has been commemorated through anniversary celebrations and the unveiling of restored artworks. The memory of the Flood is revisited through a transnational perspective as defined within the discipline of cultural memory studies. It will be argued that the annual commemoration of the Flood has the potential of becoming a day of world remembrance of culture at risk at large.Show less
