The War Child Museum invites visitors to explore their own childhood and contrast it with the stories of childhood during wartime.
When entering the War Child Museum, you are first asked to remember memories from your own childhood. To guide you in recovering these memories, you are told to answer questions about how and where you used to play, what your happiest memories were, …
The first part of the museum contrasts strongly with the second part, in which items that used to belong to children during wartime are displayed. Most of these items are related to the Bosnian War, but the museum has expanded to include other recent conflicts, such as Gaza and Ukraine. Each of these items is labelled with a related story, explaining why its owner decided to keep it and what the story behind it is. Even though all these memories took place during the war, some stories are still about joy and hope.
Through these items, the War Child Museum shows us that conflicts are not only about frontlines and fighting, but also deeply affect citizens ' lives, especially for children. This exhibition reminds us of what is often made invisible in historical narratives.
