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Copyright of Ethnologie Française is the property of Presses Universitaires de France and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ethnologie Française is the property of Presses Universitaires de France and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

How and why have museums, over the years, become a privileged place in the Federal Republic of Germany for storytelling, diffusing knowledge and conserving the memory of the German past in eastern Europe? To analyze the political, cultural and social developments that informed the choice of such an institution, and examine conception of museums, three periods of “museumization” are proposed, based on: who created the museums, for whom, the narratives proposed and presented in the exhibitions, and the relations between memory and history (their political use and function in the formation of a sense of identity). How did these institutions evolve from a “Heimat” type of museum (with roots in the German tradition of volkskunde and in the memory of the Germans expelled from eastern areas) into full-fledged museums of history (as a science with a critical relation to the past and to commemorations)? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of the Mémorial de Verdun (Verdun, France), which is a war museum commemorating the Battle of Verdun fought during World War I, and discusses the stakes of the combatant memory from 1959 to 2011. The other museums dedicated to the history of the Great War in France including Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne and the Musée de la Grande Guerre du Pays de Meaux in Meaux are mentioned. The author discusses the Mémorial's founding and inauguration, the role and attitude of French World War I veteran Gustave Durassié, and its modernization at the beginning of the 21st century. The number of visitors at the museum from 1972 to 2006 is also noted.

The article discusses human remains displayed in Slovenian museums, specifically a shrunken head and a strap made of skin, with a focus on how human remains became museum objects in Slovenia. Topics include ethical confusion and changes in museum display policies, the attitudes of museums toward displaying objects from non-Western cultures, and the development of ethical codes for museum collection and exhibition, for example that of the American Anthropological Association.

The article discusses the classification of French Canadian and Native American collections, in the period between 1933 and 1998. Topics include the religious heritage in the foundation of French Canadian heritage, Quebec folklorist Marius Barbeau and the study of French Canadian material culture, and Quebec museum director Gérard Morisset and studies of decorative arts.

The article presents information about the history of sterilized milk distribution in Fécamp, France. It is noted that French doctor Léon Dufour was responsible for beginning the distribution in 1894. The social implications of introducing feeding bottles and milk sterilizers to the public are described.

The article focuses on the importance of the explanation of ethnologists on objects shown in museums. Particular focus is given to the history of fetishes with nails from Lower Congo called "konde." The author emphasizes the necessity of explaining to the public their spiritual and symbolic background, so that they are not only seen as art objects.

The article focuses on the issue of the acquiring of contemporary collections by ethnological museums. The author explains that the largest part of the budget allocated for acquisition of ethnographic artifacts is now dedicated to expensive art objects whereas researchers are given a very small part to acquire objects in the field.

The article focuses on the history of the role of museums in French ethnology. The article presents exhibit experiences coming from ethnographic studies in France and Brazil. The author defines anthropology as a knowledge based on the relation between different worlds and states that anthropologists have a role to play in the museums of the 21st century.

This article looks at the role of museums in the study of ethnology in Sweden. The author notes that traditionally the two worked together in this field as museums were able to provide material culture and documentation for use by ethnologists. Museums were also heavily involved in the academic aspect of ethnology. A history of this partnership is presented, highlighting periods of excessive cooperation and divergence.