Europeisering av kulturarvet : en fallstudie av det sydsvenska museet Kulturen

In addressing a theoretical discussion about cultural heritage and the process of Europe-anization, this thesis deals with how the two of them are linked and how European values come to affect the perception of a common European heritage. It further shows the dynamic interaction between local cultural actors, cross-border networking and the European Union’s cultural policy within the multifaceted dimensions of Europeanization. Cultural heritage, in the shape of artefacts, traditions, creations or craft on the one hand represents a historical past. On the other hand, it is also a reflection of today’s society in how it is exhibited and presented. Through a case study of a local Swedish museum, comprising qualitative interviews with museum curators and a visual analysis of the exhibitions, this thesis investigates to what extent the museum’s practices and display of cultural heritage are influenced by the ongoing process of Europeanization. Analysing values and visions, the selection of exhibitions and the art of storytelling, among other things, the conclusions compound that implicit and explicit notions of Europeanization of the cultural heritage can be found within the local museum’s operational work