City Museums and Local Integration Policies: The Case of the Volos City Museum

Abstract

City museums tend to be identified with the gradual democratisation of memory against nationalist and essentialist discourses through the pluralisation of histories included in their collections. My paper examines the context in which the Volos City Museum was conceived, constructed and opened in 2015. The EU’s gradual decentralization and its connection to the diversification of European societies through migration, made necessary the integration of immigrants at the local level. These changes had an impact on Volos and were stepping-stones for the foundation of the museum. This paper is based on fieldwork linked to the new museum’s opening, as well as an examination of its activities and agenda.