Arks for the Future

Eco-museums and Open-Air museums

Traditional dwelling, Alsace eco-museum

Open-Air Museums and Eco-museums of Europe are vital for the preservation of not only ancient breeds but also pastoral techniques and other local lore.

In 1888 the first Open-Air Museum was inaugurated in Norway. The other Scandinavian countries soon followed, and well-established institutions may be found in the Northeastern hemisphere – Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, and Germany.  The former Eastern European countries are practically littered with these institutions whose original aim was to preserve the buildings and the material culture of the European peasants and smallholders. Later a number of museums opened up catering for city life. The preservation of buildings, landscapes and material culture was, however, still in the foreground.

In opposition to this, the Eco-museums represent a movement that grew out of France in the late 20th century. According to a generally accepted definition, an Eco-museum is a dynamic way in which communities preserve, interpret, and manage their heritage for a sustainable development. An Eco-museum is therefore based on a community agreement. This means that eco-museums are about designing real actions. The eco-museum community concept involves volunteers, and not only authorized paid staff. Preservation means that heritage values and a sense of place should be communicated on site, and not just be a reflection of museum collections. Sustainable development should be in the forefront. It is sometimes claimed that eco-museums are created primarily to sustain the local community, while Open-Air Museums are more official and national/regional in their perspective. They focus on objects, buildings and visitors. Eco-museums focus on heritage, place and community. Today the categories are however busily merging.

Preservation of traditional breeds 
This is very apparent when we focus upon the preservation of traditional breeds. Both Open-Air museums and eco-museums take care to exhibit the old breeds and both function as satellites for the more focused and dedicated arches supported by the European foundations. Anyone who has the time should thus visit the eco-museum in Alsace, that is the largest open-air museum in France. Another option is to look for the nearest local museum. You will be sure to be met with a profusion of cackling hens, quacking geese and grunting pigs.

Related Information
Definitions of eco-museum, open-air museum, etc, definitions
European Network of Ecomuseums, Ecomuseums
Communities and Developments (mainly in French), www.interactions-online.com
Please note Hugues de Varine's reflections on trends in 2006 regarding Social Capital and natural and cultural Heritage. (in French and English)