A1 Journal article (refereed)
"Voiko natsia rakastaa?" : Lapin maakuntamuseon Wir waren freunde - olimme ystäviä -näyttelyprosessi esimerkkinä vaikeasta kulttuuriperinnöstä (2018)
”Can you love a Nazi?”: Provincial Museum of Lapland’s "Wir waren Freunde – We were friends" exhibition process as an example of difficult heritage


Seitsonen, O., Hekkurainen, M., Koskinen-Koivisto, E., & Thomas, S. (2018). "Voiko natsia rakastaa?" : Lapin maakuntamuseon Wir waren freunde - olimme ystäviä -näyttelyprosessi esimerkkinä vaikeasta kulttuuriperinnöstä. Suomen museo, 125, 112-132. https://journal.fi/suomenmuseo/article/view/99949


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsSeitsonen, Oula; Hekkurainen, Mirkka; Koskinen-Koivisto, Eerika; Thomas, Suzie

Journal or seriesSuomen museo

ISSN0355-1806

Publication year2018

Volume125

Issue number0

Pages range112-132

PublisherSuomen muinaismuistoyhdistys

Place of PublicationHelsinki

Publication countryFinland

Publication languageFinnish

Persistent website addresshttps://journal.fi/suomenmuseo/article/view/99949

Publication open accessOther way freely accessible online

Publication channel open access


Abstract

The exhibition "Wir waren Freunde – We were friends. Encounters of Germans and Finns in Lapland 1940–1944" at the Provincial Museum of Lapland 2015–2016 presented the Finno-German Second World War brotherhood-in-arms from the everyday-life perspective. The wartime presence of Nazi troops as Finnish co-belligerents in northern Finland is still a sensitive and complex issue, and the exhibition had a controversial reception both locally, nationally and internationally. We discuss the critical points of the exhibition process, based on a visitor survey and interviews of the museum staff and other stakeholders. We approach the exhibition as one example of “difficult heritage” from the recent past. There are considerable differences in the ways people from various backgrounds experienced the exhibition. For the most part, the visitor feedback was positive, but also critical voices were heard. The exhibition process reflects the various ways that “silences” can occur in museum work, e.g. as respectful and societal silences in avoiding interest of conflict. Museums have an important role as institutions that can challenge prevailing understandings of the past and identities, by deliberately grasping marginalized and difficult themes. However, subjects that might appear as interesting and important from a local perspective can receive critical interpretations in the eyes of foreign visitors. Still, addressing difficult heritage is important, as illustrated by Wir waren Freunde exhibition which gave the museum visitors as well as professionals a lot of food for thought.


Keywordsexhibitionsmuseumsmilitary historyGermansFinnshuman relationscultural heritage

Free keywordsLapin maakuntamuseo; 1940-1944; 2015-2016


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

Reporting Year2018

JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2023-07-02 at 06:40