A Study on the Role of Memorial Museums as Forum for Dialogue and Strategies for Building Participatory Public Memory: Focusing on the case of the USHMM

This study aims to reexamine the role of memorial museums as forums for dialogue where diverse perspectives converge in the context of a globalized modern society, where conflicting views and beliefs are inevitable, and to explore strategies for civic participation in this context. It investigates the changing role of memorial museums within the context of expanding memory spaces and examines theories related to civic participation. The case of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), one of today's most innovative memorial museums that fosters extensive public engagement, was analyzed from the perspectives of transcultural memory theory and civic participation. Museums are places where public discourse occurs, and memorial museums, in particular, move beyond housing memories of the past to actively creating public memory with citizens. It was found that individual multi-layered and multifaceted memories are not only in competition but can also interact, show solidarity, and create a combined voice. This process of active civic participation does not bury certain memories within universal values but, rather, helps these memories gain sensitivity and contributes to the creation of new global memory landscapes. The methods by which USHMM facilitates civic participation reveal several strategies: 1) the organic arrangement of permanent and special exhibitions for varied narrative variations, 2) ways of connecting with the present, and 3) co-creation through the use of digital technology. These features suggest practical ways in which museums, including today's participatory memorial museums, can engage visitors in exhibitions, education, and social dialogue. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that memorial museums can play a central role in forming new public memories and fostering cultural dialogue through the participation of diverse citizens. This suggests that memorial museums can contribute to promoting understanding and solidarity within communities as more inclusive spaces for social dialogue.