Commemorative years and anniversaries

Anniversaries and commemorative years are central elements of the culture of remembrance. They mobilise visitors and attract public attention. In 2025, many museums and memorials are commemorating the liberation from National Socialism. This focus shows that memory depends on the present and can change: The year 1945 has only recently been officially commemorated as the ‘liberation’ in German-speaking countries. Exhibitions and projects such as 'Sehnsucht Frieden (A Longing for Peace)' at Nordico Stadtmuseum Linz or 'Liberation Objects!' at Mauthausen Memorial also illustrate the national and future-oriented demand for recurring commemorative events. We will take a close look at museum activities in 'Commemorative Year 2025': In addition to a survey of content focuses, dominant perspectives, and selected exhibition and communication approaches, we will explore how museums deal with competing memories and what present and future meanings are derived from the selected narratives. We will also take a look at anniversaries apart from the end of the war that museums are commemorating in 2025. Based on this, we will reflect fundamentally on the role of anniversaries and commemorative days in museum practice: What contribution can cyclical remembrance make to promoting a critical awareness of history? How can synergies between institutions be utilised? And when does it make sense to forego holding exhibitions on anniversaries?