Peace Museums: Selected Essays

This book is the first comprehensive study of the history, nature, and purposes of peace museums, comprising twenty-one essays by a leading authority in the field. It presents a powerful argument for the need for this new kind of museum that informs and inspires visitors that a world of peace and nonviolence is both necessary and possible.

Whereas there are numerous museums about war and the armed forces, museums about peacemaking and peacemakers are rare; indeed, the very concept of peace museums is still largely unknown. This is a reflection of the traditional writing and teaching of history which is dominated by narratives of war and warriors, with little or no attention being paid to the history of efforts to prevent and abolish war. Peace museums are ideal instruments to bring the long, fascinating, and vitally important history of peace to life for a large public. Among the essays included are histories of two (forgotten and unknown yet) heroic efforts to prevent World War I, and then World War II, through museums that educated and alerted visitors about the disasters ahead if war was not avoided, and ways to steer a different course following the catastrophe that was the Great War.

At a time when a barbaric war in Europe, continuing wars in Africa, and ominous threats of war in Asia, are raising the specter of nuclear war and World War III, the need for anti-nuclear bomb and anti-war museums is greater than ever. Such museums are essential for the development of a global culture of peace and nonviolence. The book provides inspiration and hope for everyone interested in efforts to overcome an existential threat to civilization that is wholly man-made.