Our work

The House of European History is a museum for everyone, be they from Brussels or Budapest, Ghent or Gdańsk. Reaching out to people and communities both near and far is a vital aspect of the museum’s activities. We do this through specific projects and online link-ups with events and partner institutions across Europe and focused outreach work with diverse groups both locally and Europe-wide.

Outreach

Outreach projects at the House of European History are guided by the following principles:

  • Audience development: we undertake a mix of outreach activities to enhance public awareness and to increase the number of visitors and users. We also take into consideration people who are not traditional museum visitors.
  • Accessibility: we aim to provide equitable access to resources for audiences regardless of their location, education level, age, ethnicity, physical or intellectual ability or language. Exhibitions, services and programs are developed within an inclusive framework.
  • Consultation and research: consultation and research form the basis of outreach initiatives to ensure programs and activities are relevant to identified target audiences or participating communities.
  • Leadership: the House of European History plays a leadership role in the building of networks that facilitate partnerships, collaborations and alliances with other institutions and organisations.
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Fake For Real Touring Exhibition

Throughout the centuries – in war, politics, the economy and other spheres of human activity – forgery and deceit were used to advance their creators’ goals. Fake for Real: A History of Forgery and Falsification, is an exhibition that explored these themes for more than a year at the House of European History, its Brussels base. Now, it is about to go on tour...
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Public History as the New Citizen Science of the Past

Public History as the New Citizen Science of the Past (PHACS) develops public history and participatory models for interpreting the past. PHACS facilitates interactions between academics, cultural institutions, groups, associations and the general public. The goal is to democratise not only access, but also the ‘production’ of history.

Creating a multi-voiced history of waste

How can we tell the history of waste without first understanding the situation today? How can we talk about waste without talking about the people who deal with it? How can you create an exhibition about rubbish without consulting the real experts? The communities in charge of waste management and reduction in Brussels opened their doors to us and shared their knowledge.
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Museums Explore History of Rubbish in Europe

Why should museums talk about rubbish? A topic that is by definition marginalised as it concerns what we dispose of and do not want to look at anymore, waste has become a central issue of our time. As places for learning, reflection and debate, connecting objects and stories across time, museums are uniquely positioned to expose the topic.
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Covid Makes History

The House of European History began a project collecting evidence of life in Europe during the pandemic, under the working title "Documenting Covid". So far it has focused primarily on the phenomena of solidarity, hope and community building. As a next step, we are sharing the experiences and results from a variety of museums' diverse collecting actions. Together these allow us to connect, confront and compare experiences with a continent-wide audience.
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Rail Recollections

In 2021 we celebrated the European Year of Rail. The EUROPALIA programme “Trains & Tracks” explored the impact of the train from artistic and societal perspectives. To contribute to the EUROPALIA Trains & Tracks programme, the House of European History created a pan-European online collection of personal stories about train travels across national borders as a common formative European experience.

Network

The House of European History participates in a variety of national and international associations in the museum and cultural heritage field, such as ICOM, NEMO and the Brussels Museum Council. It also undertakes outreach work with diverse groups in the immediate Brussels neighbourhood and region, and cooperates with museums, universities and civil societies across Europe.

This interactive map shows partners, organisations and museums across the Europe and the world, who have contributed to projects or generously agreed to lend objects to the House of European History.

News

What's happening at the museum?

Publications

Discover insights into the museum's projects and our contributions to academic debate.