Part 2/ Visitor Experience in royal palaces and their gardens : History – Memories – Nostalgia? 

Visitor Experience in royal palaces and their gardens : History – Memories – Nostalgia?
Part 2

All pictures here ! 

The Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg and the Établissement public du château de Fontainebleau have invited the ARRE members to a two-part Technical Meeting that both institutions organized together. Part I took place in October 2024 in Potsdam, and part II is scheduled on the 23-24 January 2025 in Fontainebleau. These Technical Meetings aim to provide an opportunity for the ARRE members to reflect on their role in embodying and conveying historical narratives for the visitors. They offer to consider strategies that meet the interests and needs of today’s and tomorrow’s public taking into account our rapidly changing societies. The meeting in Potsdam combined 3 mains sessions: visitor surveys and data, educational projects and presentations on the histories of palaces and gardens before 1918 and educational projects and presentations on the histories of palaces after 1918. During two days with more than fifteen presentations took place and enabling participants to engage meaningful and dynamic discussions, exchanges, ideas during the world café.

The second meeting in Fontainebleau will extend the studies and discussions. The Technical Meeting in Fontainebleau will be divided into three work sessions and topics and one session of focus groups:

In the first session, ARRE members are invited, as they were in Potsdam, to present recent surveys and other data reflecting the expectations and mind frames of today’s visitors (and non-visitors). We will analyze the visitors’ profiles and the different visitor motivation segments in order to have a better understanding of the relationship between the visitors and the palaces and their gardens.  A discussion will take place to explore if sharing data on a regular basis could take place within the network.

The second session will give us the opportunity to discuss the impact of main historical characters (i.e. Sissi, Napoleon, Frederic The Great, Marie-Antoinette…) on royal residences. How do we manage historical idolization without ignoring the historical complexities. Are we speaking truth to the visitors? What is the narrative for a public longing an idealized past.

The third session will allow us to engage in a dialogue about the concept of nostalgia. How do we reconcile and combine an omnipresent “Cultural Nostalgia” among most of our visitors and a narrative that does not fade the complexity of history. Speaking truth to our visitors in the present time is part of the role of palaces as “Lieux de mémoire”.

The fourth session is meant to be a moment of exchange between participants to find a way to improve visitor experience in the best way possible. Carry out a new idea or a new project in a palace museum is always challenging. Having the opportunity to discuss such challenges with experts and professionals will be most welcome by all of us.

As in Potsdam and addition to topics proposed during the session, we also invite participants to present widely discussed subjects such as the function of palace museums in different political regimes, the end of monarchies, colonialism etc. We aim to concentrate on programs dealing with aspects of regional or national history and European identities.

Together, we wish to learn and discuss whether we can change the perception of the palaces. If so, in what way? How can affirmative narratives, expectations of the tourism industries and the perception as places of beauty and splendour be reconciled with critical issues of historical or cultural education? What opportunities do these topics offer to appeal to new visitor groups and communities? We look forward to inspiring case studies - be it visitor surveys, public programs or exhibitions - and to exchanging ideas with you.