Kommunen gör historia : Museer, identitet och berättelser i Eskilstuna 1959-2000

• Main Author: Samuelsson, Johan
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: Swedish
• Published: Uppsala universitet, Ekonomisk-historiska institutionen 2005
• Subjects: Economic history; Museums; narration; history of culture; cultural politics; identity; cultural heritage; municipality; city; Ekonomisk historia
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-6196; http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:isbn:91-554-6392-4

The overall purpose of the thesis is to examine the shaping of the identity of the municipality. One empirical question raised in the dissertation is how the municipal museum has been established as a part of the municipal administration. This is done through an empirical study of the municipality of Eskilstuna in the period 1959-2000 and its official historical narration. I have analyzed four cases where historical narration was produced, mainly by the city museum. These cases are: a city Jubilee in 1959, the building of a city museum in 1979, a city exhibition in 2000 and the documentary work of the museums in relation to contemporary society (Samdok). The historical narration of the municipality over time has some perspectives in common; it is mainly a genetical narration where the municipality’s character is transformation and development. Even if some themes change over time, this has been one basic element. The place that is in focus is also constant, the industrial sections of Eskilstuna. This means that a rather large area is excluded in the narrative. However it is important to emphasize one thing here, that the rural areas are mainly represented by prehistoric times up to the Middle Ages. The manifestation of identity is therefore problematic. The city, however, is associated with symbols of transformation, modernity and development. But even if the main perspective in the narrative is that of transformation, there is a more antiquarian or traditional part as well. Here the museum building plays an important part; the museum has been built up in what can be called the historical industrial milieu. There is one more aspect of the identity of the municipality that must be emphasized here. In many ways, the municipality has used symbols and epochs from national history, for example the Middle Ages, national saints, industrialization etc. In this way the municipality is constructed as a part of something typically Swedish. Even if there were permanent features in the narration, change and new perspectives were also included, such as immigrants, women and pop culture.