Museum of Personal Stories

By documenting and promoting personal stories of minorities, the Museum of Personal Stories aims to diminish prejudices and introduce to the general public those who are often perceived as others and different. Museum’s permanent collection consists of more than 50 personal stories of Roma and Jewish people. Each story consists of a video, an object associated with the narrative, and a photograph of the storyteller. The content of the Museum moves away from the entrenched model of presenting minorities and enters the personal world of individuals with whom visitors can easily identify.

As poverty and social inequality rise, Croatian society also faces growing nationalism and discrimination towards migrants and refugees. These consequences have the greatest impact on the most marginalised in society - minorities and disadvantaged communities.  

Museum of Personal Stories (“Muzej osobnih priča“) is an exhibition space that collects and preserves the stories of minorities living in eastern Croatia. It was founded out of a need to challenge deep-rooted prejudices towards minorities within our communities. The exhibit presents diverse narratives from the community through photography, objects, and documentaries.  

Our focus is on ethnic minorities and marginalised communities. The project works closely with community stakeholders involved in research, production, and helps us reach out and build trust. Community members also implement museum activities and promote the museum’s core values and goals. 

Personal stories allow us to better understand the world around us. Minorities rarely have the opportunity to speak publicly about themselves. Storytelling not only gives them a voice but by speaking about universal issues, they help the public dismantle stereotypes. 

Our experience has shown us that personal stories can easily transcend geographical boundaries due to their universality. The project can be transferred to other communities. Storytelling is a valuable and important method for personal and social change and building a more tolerant, inclusive, and solidarity-driven society.