Heritage interpretation in a migration museum in Malta and its role in a changing society

Abstract

Maltese cultural heritage has been shaped by all settlers, colonizers, migrants and refugees who have been moving to and from Malta over the millennia. Emigration from Malta started in the 19th century and reached its peak postwar when over 30 per cent of the population had emigrated to distant countries to seek better futures (Jones, 1973; King, 1979; Azzopardi, 2012). On the other hand, whilst the Malta Census of Population and Housing of 2011 had shown that the percentage of foreigners living in Malta had reached 4.9 percent, statistics from the preliminary report of the recent census held in 2021 confirm that within a span of ten years, this percentage had risen drastically to 22.24. This means that presently, out of a total population of 519,562 persons, 115,449 are non-Maltese (Vella, 2022). During this study, the author carried out extensive research about the role that museums should play in educating a dynamic society about cultural diversity through the interpretation of heritage (ICOM, 1972; 1984; 2019), (ICOMOS, 2008; 2014), (UNESCO, 2005). Fleming, (2003) and Marstine, (2011) argue that museums contribute to the well-being of society and should make a difference in people’s lives. According to Sorensen and Carman, (2009) and Falk (2016), the education of society about heritage should centre more on people than on things, museums can influence people’s lives and the factor that motivates individuals to visit museums is related to their identity needs and interests.