Museen für diverse Gesellschaften: Neue Erwartungen und alte Pflichten

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Thomas Thiemeyer on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Museum Fünf Kontinente

In June 2026, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) will vote on a new Code of Ethics. Like the ICOM Museum Definition before it, this code is sparking controversy because it seeks to fundamentally change how museums define themselves. The new text exemplifies a fundamental shift in perspective: Whereas the focus used to be entirely on the protection of art and collections, today these are expected to serve broader political goals: human rights, climate protection, the protection of minorities, patriotism, or the reduction of social inequalities. Instead of focusing on objects, the emphasis today is primarily on people; alongside the preservation of “cultural heritage” comes the restitution of “looted art”; and where the European perspective once dominated the rest of the world, “the Others” are now to be given a voice of their own.

How did this shift in perspective come about, and when did it first become noticeable? Prof. Dr. Thomas Thiemeyer will explore these questions in his lecture“Museums for Diverse Societies: New Expectations and Old Obligations.” His argument is that the shift in museums’ self-image is a consequence of a different view of societies, which are now described as diverse rather than homogeneous. In these societies, museums and other cultural institutions that maintain collections can no longer play their old role as institutions that more or less unquestioningly provide material validation of the grand master narrative of a homogeneous group (e.g., a nation). The recoding of the institutional mandate has long been in full swing, and ethnological museums play a major role in this process. Since the issue is closely linked to notions of identity and identity politics, it leads to fundamental political conflicts that are now discussed in public debate as the “Kulturkampf.”

Dr. Thomas Thiemeyer is a professor at the Ludwig Uhland Institute for Empirical Cultural Studies at the University of Tübingen. In his research and teaching, he focuses on topics related to the culture of memory, constructions of identity (notions of home, identity politics), and institutions dedicated to popularizing knowledge—primarily museums, archives, and collections. Before joining the university, he worked at the German Literature Archive in Marbach on the “wissen&museum” project and, from 2003 to 2006, as a curator for the Stuttgart-based architect and museum designer HG Merz (including the Mercedes-Benz Museum in 2006). His most recent publications include “Moral Institution 4.0? How the Paradigm of Social Justice Redefines the Mission of Museums ” (in: Arsprototo 1/25) and “History in the Museum: Theory—Practice—Professional Fields ” (UTB 2018).

Free admission. No registration is required.

The lecture is part of theLucian Scherman Lectures andwill be streamed live on the Museum Fünf Kontinente’s YouTube channel.