The War Childhood Museum aims to provide a platform for coming to terms with the past on a personal level. It is only through sharing and exchange of lived experiences that better understanding of alternative narratives can be reached and substantial changes and sustainable reconciliation achieved.

The War Childhood Museum holds a comprehensive collection of personal belongings, documents, photographs, letters and other memorabilia on war experience, but also an archive of audio-video testimonies narrated by individuals whose childhoods have been affected by armed conflicts. 

At any moment, Museum’s researchers are actively engaged in research onsite and around the world to document lived experiences of individuals whose childhoods have been or still are affected by armed conflict. All research activities are supervised by psychologists of PSIHOLAB Association who also provide training to our staff on how to adequately communicate the sensitive issues, how to build the appropriate rapport, and how to guide the interview process.

Our collection care professionals work to ensure long-term preservation of more than 3.000 artifacts. Procedure of collecting the museum artifacts and their incorporation into a museum collection is conducted according to the international museum standards, defined by the International Council of Museums – ICOM. Special museum collections are created in regard to the types of artifacts: personal objects, photographs, and documents (diaries, journals, letters). International procedures are adjusted to the specific needs and characteristics of the War Childhood Museum.

Participants

The War Childhood Museum enables all voices to be heard and documented, regardless of national, ethnic, religious, cultural, racial, gender, and geographic backgrounds as well as experiences, beliefs, or world views. Every person whose childhood is being or has been affected by armed conflict and would like to donate his/her memorabilia and to share his/her personal story of war experience, may participate in the project by registering on the Museum web-site and by following the necessary application procedure.

Accessing the Collection

The War Childhood Museum encourages scholars, students, external researchers, and the general public to make use of its collections. The Museum provides access to its collections through exhibitions and by request for study and research. Find out how you can apply to access our collections by sending an email to info@warchildhood.org.

Read more:

Collecting and cataloguing

Interviewing process

Donate to the WCM

Support the War Childhood Museum

The War Childhood Museum is an independent non-for-profit museum not funded by government. In addition to institutional donors and partners, the Museum has been receiving support from dedicated individuals and friends from its very opening. Become a friend and support the WCM.