Stefan Krankenhagen

Popkultur dreht sich immer schon um die ganz besonderen und die ganz normalen Dinge: von Winnetous Silberbüchse über Kaugummis, Diskokugeln und Nylonstrümpfen bis zu Selfiesticks und Michael Jacksons weißem Handschuh. Sie werden alltäglich genutzt und abgöttisch verehrt, sind überall verfügbar und unerreichbar, sind spektakuläre Unikate und billige Massenprodukte. – All these things erzählt die Geschichte der Popkultur vom Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts bis zur Gegenwart anhand von 14 ausgewählten Dingen. Sie alle haben ihre eigene Geschichte und stehen für die kulturellen, technischen und ökonomischen Veränderungen der Zeit – vor allem aber für 150 Jahre Unterhaltungskultur.

Museums of history and contemporary culture face many challenges in the modern age. One is how to react to processes of Europeanization and globalization, which require more cross-border cooperation and different ways of telling stories for visitors. This book investigates how museums exhibit Europe. Based on research in nearly 100 museums across the Continent and interviews with cultural policy makers and museum curators, it studies the growing transnational activities of state institutions, societal organizations, and people in the museum field such as attempts to Europeanize collection policy and collections as well as different strategies for making narratives more transnational like telling stories of European integration as shared history and discussing both inward and outward migration as a common experience and challenge. The book thus provides fascinating insights into a fast-changing museum landscape in Europe with wider implications for cultural policy and museums in other world regions.

Museums of history and contemporary culture face many challenges in the modern age. One is how to react to processes of Europeanization and globalization, which require more cross-border cooperation and different ways of telling stories for visitors. This book investigates how museums exhibit Europe. Based on research in nearly 100 museums across the Continent and interviews with cultural policy makers and museum curators, it studies the growing transnational activities of state institutions, societal organizations, and people in the museum field such as attempts to Europeanize collection policy and collections as well as different strategies for making narratives more transnational like telling stories of European integration as shared history and discussing both inward and outward migration as a common experience and challenge. The book thus provides fascinating insights into a fast-changing museum landscape in Europe with wider implications for cultural policy and museums in other world regions.