Cultural heritage at war - thoughts from a museum director

A few years ago, I never thought we would see a war in Europe. Almost 80 years after the end of the Second World War, it is happening again. Russia, against all international rules and commitments, is invading Ukraine, which is an independent state. This is terrible and very difficult to understand.

Today's situation clearly shows the importance of history and cultural heritage. By looking back, we can better understand what is happening in the present. And with that hindsight, we can also make better decisions for the future. Our mission as a museum, to be a knowledge institution that tells the story of our shared history and cultural heritage, feels even more important today than it did just a few weeks ago. We want to contribute in every way to increasing knowledge about history and cultural heritage in society. One of the ways we do this is by highlighting stories from history that can show the way forward. In our latest Instagram post, we tell the story of Inga Steggo, who was one of the people who helped people fleeing from the Norwegian side to escape the horrors of war during the Second World War. Such humanity can guide us even in today's challenges.

Another important issue in these troubled times is the importance of having as accurate a history as possible. It is a common phenomenon that those who start a war rewrite history to suit their own interests. At the same time, the history and cultural heritage of the enemy is to be destroyed. We are now seeing this happen again, which shows how important it is that we have stable knowledge institutions such as museums that carry and protect history and can tell about it in a credible and nuanced way. Cultural heritage is an important part of our identity, and we must in every possible way give ourselves and future generations the opportunity to get to know our own cultural heritage.

I would also like to point out the risk of cultural heritage being destroyed in war. Because one of the first steps in many wars is to destroy cultural heritage and the institutions that are supposed to preserve it. The risk of destroying much of Ukraine's cultural heritage is clear. In the museum world, there are stories of staff guarding their museums and objects to protect them as far as possible from destruction. We at the Silvermuseet send thoughts and strength to museum colleagues who are struggling at this time to ensure that cultural heritage is preserved for future generations.

The Nordic museum associations have issued a joint statement condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and calling on Russia to respect the 1954 Hague Convention* on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

As a member of the Swedish Museums Association, the Silvermuseet also supports this statement.

* UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict