The House of European History
I have chosen to do this blog post on The House of European History, not on the parliament. This was such a cool experience! The layout of the building was done very well. You could weave through different exhibits very easily. They did a great job with their use of space. I also liked the varied scales of the exhibits. It makes your eyes really catch on certain things. It also is nice to have things on different scales because it just looks more aesthetic. Lastly, they made the experience interactive through our tablets which was so cool. We were able to learn about what we wanted to by clicking the exhibit we were close to. They did that “museum” so well and I feel that I was able to learn a lot.
I think The house of European History is so important. It is so important to know the history of our world. Learning from the past is one of the best things we can do for our future. This museum is a great way to learn the history of multiple different countries, and I feel like because it is not just the history of one country, it wasn't really biased. This place only opened in 2017 so it itself hasn't exactly been around for long enough to become some huge historical thing. But I just think the stuff inside the building is so historically and culturally significant. The information helps us to understand why certain European cultures are the way that they are.
I think this contributes to Belgium's status as a cultural capital because it provides connections to other countries. It shows that it is a part of other countries and it has something that may be important to other European countries. Something important enough to maybe even visit it. Furthermore, this building is on the same grounds as the EU parliament. These two buildings help tie Belgium to other countries. It makes Belgium a place of history and culture. Furthermore, I think it also makes Belgium a cultural capital because it includes the history of other countries, not just Belgium. It provided the people of Belgium and all who visit with great knowledge.
Molly, this is a really informative blog post, I think you did a great job of it. I'm going to go over a few things that I thought you did a great job of and then put in a few notes, things to think about for future blog posts. Then I'm going to do the actual assignment. I'm sorry, my inner TA is compelling me.
ReplyDeleteYour description of the museum experience is accurate and well considered. Your reasons for why the museum contributes to the cultural capital of the city are reasonable.
There are a few points in your post where conventions get away from you. Sometimes it's not clear what the pronouns you use are referring to. Capitalization is a little scattered. Sentence structure can read a little choppy. Beyond that, your sentences also sound a little choppy, they don't blend together well as a fluid monologue. I bring this up mostly because these assignments are a relatively consequence free opportunity to experiment with your writing voice and to try out new things. Now is a good time to test things out and see what you like in your writing!
You make a really good point that the European History Museum is unifying in its multinational approach and in its connection to the nearby European Union Parliament Building. In your second paragraph you claim that the multinational approach eliminates bias in the museum's account of history. I think there is an extent to which this is correct. The museum certainly doesn't hold one member nation more at fault for any broader phenomenon than another excepting for the rise of fascism during WWII. On the other hand, I find that the museum does us a disservice in condemning the imposed poverty and harsh working conditions brought on by the dictatorial communist regime of the USSR without condemning the contemporary imposed poverty and harsh working conditions brought on by European and American colonial capitalism to nearly the same extent. Those are just my thoughts though.
You're so cool!
I loved how you presented the House of European History—it gives an informational introduction to the building. You did a wonderful job discussing how this particular monument contributed to the cultural capital of Brussels. This building holds a great history spanning Europe, in part because of the neutrality of Brussels, and your writing shows this well.
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