Check out these amazing peace museums and learn how they promote a culture of peace. Find one near you and learn how to establish your own.
by Taylor O’Connor | 2 August 2024
Photo by Filip Pižl on Unsplash
“Museums have the power to inspire social change by engaging visitors in critical conversations about our shared history, present challenges, and future aspirations.” – Jane Doe, Museum Curator
If you have found this blog post you are likely curious about the concept of peace museums, but likely know little about it. You might be interested to learn that museums and exhibits for peace is a well-established approach for building a culture of peace and that there exist networks of peace museums. Indeed, these networks support members new and old to develop and promote their museums and exhibits for peace.
You might be interested to look into the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP) which documents and supports hundreds of peace museums worldwide. Founded in Japan where there are so many established peace museums, INMP works to increase public awareness of peace museums and to unite peace museums worldwide under a common vision of fostering peace.
Also have a look at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience which is a network of historic sites, place-based museums, memorial sites where atrocities and other traumatic events have occurred. There are some great peace museums in this network as well.
I wrote this blog post to raise awareness about this amazing approach to building peace – the creation of peace museums and exhibits. I hope it inspires you and others to learn more about peace museums, to visit them, and to spread the word about them so that their impact can spread. And also, for some, I hope that this inspires you and gives you ideas about how you can create a peace museum or exhibit as part of your efforts to build a more peaceful, just world.
Key lessons learned about peace museums
So there are hundreds of peace museums and museums that have exhibits directly or indirectly associated with peace. In reviewing peace museums that I have in my personal database as well as other museums affiliated with above mentioned networks I have selected 17 peace museums that are well established and have informative websites in English.
Most peace museums are small and don’t have much information about them online. There are also many museums focused on social justice issues or human rights, but these are not included as the main focus of this blog is museums explicitly about peace and peacebuilding.
In my review, here are some key points that I learned:
- There are many small peace museums and few large, established peace museums
- Some peace museums, particularly large ones, are sponsored by governments or large organizations. Most museums are small and sponsored by local organizations and/or individuals
- Many small peace museums are often at specific historic sites like a battleground, atrocity, or peace treaty site
- Some museums also include peace monuments and/or peace parks
- Peace museums generally include exhibits with artifacts, photos and educational content
- Peace museums often organize education events, host tours and school visits, dialogue activities. Some include virtual interactive activities. Some are also engaged in research.
- Some large peace museums have created virtual exhibits or include exhibit content on their websites
- Some small peace museums document the live of specific peace heroes. Often, these museums are at the house of the peace hero.
- Some national museums include peace exhibits
- There are some children’s peace ‘museums’ which I have not included, as they mostly are mostly for kid’s parties and are very small
There are many war museums, but only some focus on the horror of war or the human experience of war, lessons of war, oriented towards peace. Most are callus celebrations of violence.
Peace museums
In this section you will find descriptions of 17 peace museums around the world. While there are hundreds of peace museums I have selected 17 that are larger and more established with informative websites. This selection does not include the majority of peace museums which while impactful at the local/national level, are small and don’t have much information available online.
I have organized these into three categories:
- Anti-war museums
- Peace-focused museums
- Examples of museums addressing peace indirectly
Within each section, museums have been organized by year they were established with the oldest first. A few museums did not include the year they were established so I added these at the end of each section. If the museum is sponsored by an external organization I have cited this. Descriptions explain how their activities and exhibits build peace.
Anti-war museums
This section includes seven examples of museums that educate about the horrors of war which focus on the need to prevent war. Each generally focuses on a specific war, event, region or war tactic. Most war museums glorify war. I have included only those that promote peace, not war.
The Anti-war museum Berlin (Anti-Kriegs Museum) (1925) | in Berlin, Germany
The Anti-war Museum Berlin (Anti-Kriegs-Museum) showcases the horrors of the First World War through powerful photo-documentary exhibits. The museum claims to be the world’s first anti-war museum. The museum tries to serve as a reminder of the consequences of conflict to inspire visitors to actively work towards a more peaceful world. They recognize war as a crime against humanity and advocate explicitly for global disarmament, while fostering a space for people of all ages and nations to engage in respectful dialogue and debate on the topic.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (1955) | in Hiroshima, Japan
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. The museum is located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima. The Museum collects and displays belongings left by the victims, photos, and other materials that convey the horror of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It also includes exhibits that describe Hiroshima before and after the bombings and others that present the current status of the nuclear age. In educating about the horrors of nuclear warfare, the museum seeks to contribute to the elimination of all nuclear weapons and the realization of a genuinely peaceful international community.
The War Remnants Museum (1975) | in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
War Remnants Museum covers the chilling aftermath of war in Vietnam, shedding light on the impacts of foreign aggression on the Vietnamese people. It includes 9 exhibitions and a myriad of activities happening year-round, including chats with war survivors. I actually visited this museum years ago and recall the personal impact of the artifacts and stories of the horror and suffering inflicted on the people by foreign powers. The museum encourages everyone to stand against unjust wars, sow seeds of global peace, and foster bonds of friendship among nations. And it inspires a collective commitment to building a world free from the ravages of armed conflict.
The War Memorial of Korea (1989) | in Seoul, South Korea, organized by Korea War Memorial Organization (KWM)
The War Memorial of Korea collects and preserves materials on war in the Korean peninsula and the struggles of people resisting war. They seek to prevent war through lessons learned from the memories of war and hope that by doing so they can contribute to the peaceful unification of the country.
Cambodia Peace Gallery (2000s) | in Battambang, Cambodia
The Cambodia Peace Gallery is a space for reflection and learning on Cambodia’s journey from war towards peace and reconciliation. The museum presents the history of structural violence and atrocities of Cambodia, while celebrating the work of Cambodian peacebuilders. In so doing, the museum hopes to contribute to the ongoing national dialogue about Cambodia’s conflict, enabling Cambodians to share and recount their experiences without fear and together create a common understanding of the past. It was designed primarily for young Cambodians to learn about the remarkable and innovative approaches to peacebuilding, inspiring them to be peacebuilders, and contributing to the construction of a peaceful future in Cambodia.
The Tehran Peace Museum (2005) | in Tehran, Iran, operated by the Tehran-based Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support (SCWVS)
Tehran Peace Museum seeks to o promote a culture of peace through raising awareness about the devastating consequences of war with focus on health and environmental impacts of Chemical weapons. The museum is located within the historic City Park of Tehran. It includes a memorial for the poison gas victims of the Iran-Iraq War along with interactive exhibits aimed at raising global awareness about the devastating consequences of war, focusing on the health and environmental impacts of chemical weapons. The museum hosts workshops and conferences on humanitarian law, disarmament, peace education, and other topics.
The Asia Pacific Peace Museum (2017) | in Toronto, Canada, operated by ALPHA Education
The Asia Pacific Peace Museum works to improve people’s knowledge of WWII in Asia and increased youth participation in the pioneering of a peace and reconciliation movement. They recognize that while there are many museums about the Holocaust and WWII in Europe, few museums educate about atrocities committed during the war in the Asia region. Through their exhibits, educational programming and engagement with academic institutions they seek to be a hub of knowledge on WWII in the wider Asia region. The museum both seeks to educate about the horrors of the war in Asia while at the same time seeking to contribute to a positive shaping of the historical narratives of the present and future.
Peace-focused museums
Museums described in this section focus on peace, peace activism and peace efforts. They generally don’t focus on war or violence, but educate about the efforts of people and movements for peace to inspire others to build peace.
United Nations Museum Geneva (1947) | in Geneva, Switzerland
The United Nations Museum Geneva educates about the history of both the United Nations and the League of Nations, and about their efforts to build a peaceful world through global cooperation and diplomacy. Exhibits include historical documents, artworks, and artefacts that inspire unity and understanding across nations.
The Peace Museum (1994) | in Saltaire, City of Bradford, England
The Peace Museum explores the history and the often untold stories of peace, peacemakers, social reform and peace movements. Their collection includes over 16,000 objects that honor “people of peace” who have tried to make the world more peaceful, while acting as a resource for future peace-making within the local, regional, national, and international reach. Through exhibitions, creative learning activities, and engaging storytelling, they inspire collective action, and encourage individuals to be modern peace-makers for a better world.
Peace Museum Nuremberg (1998) | in Nuremberg, Germany
The Peace Museum Nuremberg covers a century-long history of pacifism in Germany, highlighting the impactful contributions of women in the peace movement since 1945, and emphasizing the lasting legacy of their dedicated efforts. The museum has a focus on peace education and teaching of peace history. They curate learning experiences for individuals of all ages. They host non-violent training sessions and engaging seminars, with a hope to inspire people to build peace and to equip peace activists with knowledge to make change.
The Dayton International Peace Museum (2004) | in Dayton, Ohio – USA
The Dayton International Peace Museum was founded by a group of passionate activists seeking to raise awareness of nonviolent strategies for achieving peace now and in the future. The museum seeks to inspire people to work for greater peace and compassion through education and collaboration. The museum serves as a gathering place offering learning programs that celebrate music, art, books, film, new ideas, and fresh, often under-represented voices to the conversation about world peace.
The Australian Living Peace Museum (2013) | online museum
Australian Living Peace Museum is an online museum that aims to celebrate Australia’s heritage of peace and non-violence, showcasing stories of peace and non-violence using collection items held in Australia’s public museums, libraries and art galleries, or in private collections. The museum is a volunteer-led, community-based organization that fosters a culture of peace by reflecting on the multidisciplinary nature of peace efforts made by individuals and organizations, whether it’s disarmament, human rights, ecology, reconciliation, education, or the growth of international humanitarian law, the museum embraces it all.
The Peace Museum Vienna (2014) | in Vienna, Austria
Peace Museum Vienna aims to contribute to world peace by educating the public about peace heroes. The museum showcases inspiring peace heroes through posters and biographies, while spreading its message of peace through educational programs, exhibitions, and gatherings. They also screen movies and documentaries on peace, and they have events in their peace kitchen. Another innovative project is their ‘street peace museum’ where they bring their core peace hero exhibit into the street for people to learn without having to come to the museum.
Nobel Prize Museum | in Stockholm, Sweden
The Nobel Prize Museum shares stories of Nobel Laureates from around the world across Nobel Prize themes of natural sciences, literature, and peace. It is a small museum with a huge amount of content that they use to present exhibitions, host school programs, and coordinate solutions-oriented dialogues on pressing global issues. Exhibits and educational activities include artifacts, videos, and educational content. For over 20 years they have prepared traveling exhibitions that have toured in museums around the world. Through public exhibitions, meetings, digital channels and other outreach activities both in Sweden and globally, they wish to help create exciting encounters between people who dare to challenge the status quo, who want to ask new questions, think new thoughts and contribute to a better world.
Examples of museums addressing peace indirectly
In this section are included three examples of museums that are indirectly related to peace and peacebuilding. They focus on injustice and inequality, or on diversity and inclusion. There are many more museums that focus on topics related to peace, but not peace explicitly. These are just three good examples to give you ideas of ways museums and exhibits can contribute to peace indirectly.
The National Civil Rights Museum (1991) | in Memphis, Tennessee, USA
National Civil Rights Museum aims to share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and explore how this era continues to shape equality and freedom globally. It is a space that celebrates the courage and resilience of those who stood up against discrimination, racism, and injustice in the United States. The museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum includes interactive exhibits, historic collections, films, oral histories and interactive media. They also host speakers and special events.
The Legacy Museum and other Legacy Sites (2018) | in Montgomery, Alabama, USA
The Legacy Sites include a museum, monument and park that invite visitors to explore the painful history of racial injustice in America. The sites are housed in a region that once held the largest population of enslaved Black people. The Legacy Museum features first-person historical accounts, interactive content and art covering 400 years of history from enslavement, to racial terrorism, to segregation, to mass incarceration. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is a monument dedicated to victims of racial terror lynchings. Collectively, the Sites offer visitors an opportunity to engage with history, to promote truth telling, and encourage collective action towards a more just and equitable society for all.
The National Museums of World Culture (Världskulturmuseerna) | in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden
The National Museums of World Culture is actually a collection of 4 museums celebrating the cultures of the world, particularly those outside of Sweden. Through educating about diverse cultures, the museums hope to promote a vision of a bigger, more humane and more inclusive world. Museums in Stockholm include The Museum of Ethnography (Etnografiska museet), The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet) and The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities (Östasiatiska museet), and in Gothenburg The Museum of World Culture (Världskulturmuseet). Each museum has a specific focus while the coordinating body of National Museums of World Culture promotes the overall aim of inclusion and intercultural understanding.
Promote peace museums and exhibits
I hope that you found this peacebuilding approach of creating museums and exhibits for peace to be insightful. You might want to go out and learn more about peace museums. Look and see if there is a peace museum near you. The International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP) has a database of peace museums on their website. Find one near you and go visit.
Spread the word about peace museums to amplify their impact. And for some of you, I hope that this blog post inspires you and gives you ideas about how you can create a peace museum or exhibit as part of your efforts to build a more peaceful, just world. Use this blog post as a resource. See how many individuals and groups have created their own peace museums and exhibits. And go out and create your own peace museum or exhibit.
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