Balkan Museum Network

Home
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo
Balkan Museum Network

The Balkan Museum Network (BMN) exists to celebrate, preserve and share the complex common heritage o

The Balkan Museum Network is non-governmental organization established for exchange, dialogue and promotion of museums in the Balkans, and to preserve and celebrate the complex common heritage of this region. It is based on mutual respect and guided by a commitment to professionalism and shared ethics. It supports the development of creative museum leaders and is underpinned by the principles of peace and reconciliation through heritage of the past, present and future. The BMN was created after the highly successful ‘1+1:Life & Love Simultaneous Exhibition’ led by the Cultural Heritage without Borders. Today, Balkan Museum Network gathers over 40 institutional and 20 individual members, and is constantly growing.

09/10/2026

🗺️ This past September, we joined our Critical History Tours partners in 📍 Brussels to test a new walking tour developed by the Uncomfortable Oxford team.

Our goal was to unearth ideas, processes, and histories that have shaped Brussels as it is today. Along the way, and for hours later, we found ourselves discussing:

🔹 What makes the identities of cities unstable, constructed, and provisional?

🔹 To which extent do museums and other institutions reflect a European imperial mindset?

🔹 How should we interpret and engage with controversial historical figures in public space?

--

📌 Read the full article by Vojislav Martinov on BMN’s website. Link in the comments 👇

--

🔎 The CHT project aims to develop and implement local walking tours that spark open conversations about local and global contested histories, empowering educators and guides to navigate sensitive and polarized pasts.
EuroClio - European Association of History Educators | Atrium European Cultural Route | ISHA - International Students of History Association | Liberation Route Europe

08/10/2026

📣🏅 "Don't think about it, apply!"
That's the advice from Off Stream, second-place winner of the BMN’s 2025 Museum Souvenir Award, to those still deciding whether to enter this year.
🌟 Off Stream team graciously shared their thoughts on how reinterpreting your collection in this way enables audiences to take a piece of your museum’s story and values with them.
Read their answers in full to learn what this recognition means in terms of collection’s visibility and prominence.
🚨 The 2026 Call is open until November 6 🚨
If your gift shop holds an original souvenir inspired by your collection, don’t miss this opportunity to have it highlighted and lauded across the whole Balkan region and beyond!
ℹ️ Check out the key criteria and apply via the link in the comments 🔗👇
📌 Open to BMN institutional members who joined before August 1, 2026.
Apply today, or pass this along to a member museum that should! ✨🏛️

07/10/2026

📌 Last week in Novi Sad, the BMN joined the international conference "Museums That Care: Museums, Wellbeing, Community"! 🌱 🏛️
💡 The conference, held 1–3 October and organized by the Museum of Vojvodina, gave us the opportunity to hear new ideas on how museums can serve as spaces of care, dialogue and community belonging.
🤝 We also connected and strengthened ties with so many BMN members and other colleagues across the Balkans!
🧠 RE-MIND Project Showcase:
During these three days, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the Re-Mind Project and its aim of creating a pioneering approach that integrates mindfulness, calm technology, and intergenerational inclusion into museum education and audience engagement.
🎉 Congratulations to our colleagues at Muzej Vojvodine on 50 years of their Education and Public Relations Department, and thank you for the hospitality, the inspiring programme and the space to exchange experiences!

01/10/2026

🚨 BMN's "Meet, See, Do" conference is less than a month away!

Hosted by the Museum of Herzegovina in Trebinje,📍BiH, this year's edition explores:

"Museums as Living Institutions: Ethics, Participation, Sustainability & Care"

See you at Muzej Hercegovine Trebinje, October 28–29! ✨🏛️
ICOM International Committee on Ethical Dilemmas | Network of European Museum Organisations

30/09/2026

📢 DEADLINE EXTENDED: "Museum Souvenir Award 2026" now open until November 6!

Have you created an original souvenir inspired by your collection and made with local artisans or creatives?

🏅 The Balkan Museum Network's Museum Souvenir Award is your chance to share your museum gift shop's story with the whole region!

--

WHY APPLY

In addition to joining a growing showcase of what Balkan museums can create, winners are promoted on the BMN website and shared with our partners and funders across Europe.

The Call also gives you a chance to celebrate both your collection and the local craftspeople behind your work.

--

🗓️ New deadline: November 6, 2026
📌 Open to BMN institutional members who joined before August 1, 2026
📝 Criteria and application: link in bio/comments 🔗 👇

Use the time to prepare your application or pass this along to a member museum! ✨🏛️

24/09/2026

🚨 Apply for the BMN's Museum Souvenir Award 2026 by October 6!
Have you created an original souvenir inspired by your collection, made with local artisans and creatives?
📣 Share your museum gift shop's tale with the whole region!
💡 Past winners of BMN's Museum Souvenir Award have shown us how much imagination Balkan museums have to offer, from wearable heritage and reclaimed museum materials to accessible and interactive souvenirs.
WHY APPLY:
🔹 Regional recognition: Winners are promoted on the BMN website and shared with our partners and funders across Europe.
🔹 A spotlight for your artisans: Past winners have used the award to celebrate the local craftspeople and traditions behind their work.
🔹 Community and inspiration: Every edition of this award builds a growing showcase of what Balkan museums can create, and your museum could be part of it.
🗓️ Deadline: October 6, 2026. Apply with your original souvenir design.
📌 Open to BMN institutional members who joined before August 1, 2026.
🔗 Check out the criteria and submit your application at the link in the comments 👇
Apply today, or pass this along to a member museum that should! ✨🏛️

17/09/2026

🌱 🌟 MEET OUR MEMBERS
BMN is growing! And every new member brings something unique to the table.
We are delighted to welcome the National Institution Museum Kumanovo, North Macedonia / НУ Музеј Куманово- IN Muzeu Kumanovë 🇲🇰
📌 Founded in 1964 as the National Museum Kumanovo, the institution is housed in the former villa of the industrialist Zhivko Stojiljkovic, built in 1926 in the typical style of old urban architecture, in the heart of the city. It was re-registered under its current name in 2004.
Its permanent exhibition brings together around 7,000 exhibits, drawn from collections developed through field research and scientific processing in archaeology, history, and ethnology. Visitors can:
🔹 Discover finds from the Early Stone Age and Neolithic periods
🔹 Explore artefacts from the Ilinden Uprising
🔹 See artworks from the Department of Fine Arts
🔹 Take part in an active programme of exhibitions and cultural events
NI Museum Kumanovo’s research, exhibition, publishing, and educational work has been recognized with several awards over the decades, including the November Award, received twice: in 1972 and 1986.
We look forward to the exchange of ideas ahead! ✨🏛️

15/09/2026

📣 Take a closer look at the "Meet, See, Do" Conference programme!
MSD 2026 is bringing museum and heritage professionals from the Balkans and beyond to Trebinje, 28–29 October.
🚨 Apply by 15 September end of day CEST — LINK in comments 🔗👇
KEY INFORMATION
🔹 Attendance is free, with refreshments and lunch provided both days
🔹 Up to two participants per institution
🔹 Working language: English
Join us in Trebinje and help shape the conversation on museums as living institutions! ✨🏛️

13/09/2026

🌱 🌟 MEET OUR MEMBERS
The BMN family keeps growing, and so does the diversity of expertise within it.
Fortress of Culture Šibenik (Croatia 🇭🇷) brings together a team of cultural professionals who, for the past eight years, have been demonstrating a simple belief: that culture has the power to transform a city.
📌 Built on enthusiasm, professionalism, innovation, inclusion, and courage, Fortress of Culture manages Šibenik's remarkable fortification heritage across six unique sites:
🔹 St. Michael's Fortress — open-air summer stage on the Adriatic coast
🔹 Barone Fortress — boutique venue with breathtaking panoramic views over Šibenik
🔹 St. John's Fortress — educational centre for cultural and creative industries
🔹 House of Arts Arsen — versatile venue open to all forms of art
🔹 Croatian Coral Center on Zlarin — the island's centuries-old coral cultivation tradition
🔹 City Point — ticket, information, and souvenir point in Šibenik's historic centre
With a vision of excellence in cultural heritage management and a mission to keep Šibenik's fortresses sustainably alive for citizens and visitors alike, we're excited to welcome Fortress of Culture Šibenik to the Balkan Museum Network! ✨🏛️

10/09/2026

📢 5 DAYS LEFT to apply for "Meet, See, Do 2026"!

What does it take to keep museums evolving as living, participatory institutions?

Join us in Trebinje (BiH) on October 28–29 to dig into the ethics, participation, sustainability, and care shaping museums today.

--

📌 Free attendance (max 2 per institution)
🚨 Deadline to apply: 15 September, 2026

👉🔗 Check out the full programme and participation details — link in BIO!

--

There’s still time to be part of this conversation.

Use the opportunity to connect with peers from across the Balkans and beyond or simply spread the word! ✨🏛️

Address

Sarajevo

Website

http://www.bmuseums.net/, https://linktr.ee/balkan_museum_network

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Balkan Museum Network posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Balkan Museum Network:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Sarajevo?