Joining the Shards -

Project Partner Spotlight |War Childhood Museum Foundation

The War Childhood Museum Foundation’s work focuses on the experiences of children growing up during armed conflicts.

The Foundation operates in The Hague, with branches in Sarajevo, Kyiv, and New York. It cooperates closely with the War Childhood Museum based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to childhood affected by war. The Museum holds a collection of over 7,000 personal objects and testimonies from 21 armed conflicts.

Renowned for its storytelling methodology, it was awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize in 2018.

As a project partner, the War Childhood Museum Foundation will contribute its expertise in storytelling techniques and cultural narratives for ceramic heritage.

Through a series of workshops, the Foundation will support participating museums in strengthening their storytelling skills and exploring new approaches to promoting and sharing stories connected to ceramic heritage affected by war. The workshops will also focus on connecting collections with diverse audiences and highlighting the cultural significance of ceramic heritage through storytelling.

Together, we are working to preserve Europe’s ceramic heritage while strengthening expertise in its conservation, interpretation, and storytelling.

This project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.

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Joining the Shards project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.

War Childhood Museum Foundation exhibition

War Childhood Museum Foundation

August 9, 2026

Project Partner Spotlight |Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec

Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec is an institution that refers to the region’s centuries-old pottery traditions dating back to the Middle Ages. Its name and profile are rooted in the local production of stoneware ceramics. Today, it operates through two departments: Ceramics and City History. It continues the pre-war traditions of the Stadt Museum, which functioned between 1908 and 1945. The museum cooperated with the Royal Vocational School of Ceramics, which combined artistic education with technological knowledge. The school also served as a research center supporting the modernization of local crafts. During the Second World War, the museum’s collections suffered serious damage and were dispersed. After 1945, efforts began to rebuild the collection and recover surviving objects. Many artifacts required specialized conservation and reconstruction. The region’s long conservation tradition contributed to the development of the museum staff’s expertise. The institution offers a full range of ceramic conservation services, from cleaning and desalination to gluing and filling losses. It also prepares conservation documentation and recommends proper storage conditions for exhibits. The museum conducts archaeological research, field supervision, and secures and processes discoveries. It collaborates with scholars from the University of Wrocław on conferences and publications. The museum organizes educational workshops, training sessions, and activities promoting cultural heritage. It prepares temporary exhibitions in Poland and abroad and lends its collections to other institutions. Since 2014, it has had its own conservation studio that continuously monitors the condition of objects. Museum specialists regularly organize courses and conferences on best conservation practices. In recent years, projects have focused on the inventory and restoration of ceramic fragments damaged during the war. Currently, work is underway on a new interactive permanent exhibition and a center for historical pottery techniques, strengthening the museum’s role as a regional hub for knowledge and protection of ceramic heritage.

Joining the Shards project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.

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August 6, 2026

Project Partner Spotlight | Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD)Meet the Partners of the “Joining the Shards” Project

The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden(SKD) is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious museum networks, bringing together fifteen museums and research institutions across Dresden and other Saxon cities. For centuries, SKD has safeguarded exceptional collections while advancing research, conservation and public engagement.

Within SKD, the Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection) is internationally renowned for its outstanding holdings of Meissen, Chinese and Japanese porcelain. Established from the collections of the Saxon electors, it has been systematically documented since 1721, making it one of the oldest catalogued ceramic collections in the world. During the Second World War, thousands of objects were evacuated to castles and mines to protect them from the destruction of Dresden. Although many pieces were later taken to the Soviet Union as war trophies, the majority returned to Dresden in the 1950s, allowing the Porzellansammlung to reopen to the public in the Zwinger Palace in 1962.

Today, SKD combines tradition with innovation. Its dedicated conservation laboratory works closely with universities and research institutes, applying advanced scientific methods to study, preserve and document ceramic heritage. One of its landmark achievements is the digital catalogue of around 8,000 East Asian ceramic objects from the historic collection of Augustus the Strong, providing worldwide access to high-quality images, provenance records and scholarly information.

As a partner in Joining the Shards, SKD contributes internationally recognised expertise in ceramic conservation, research, documentation and museum practice, helping to develop innovative approaches for safeguarding and interpreting Europe’s ceramic heritage.

Learn more about our partner and follow the project as we continue to connect conservation, research and storytelling across Europe.

Joining the Shards project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.

Porzellansammlung, Dresdner Zwinger Tiersaal mit Meissner Tierplastiken des 18. Jahrhunderts gestaltet von dem Architekten Peter Marino

Titel: Zwei japanische Damen Material/Technik: Porzellan, Bemalung: Unterglasurkobaltblau, Eisenrot und Gold Maße: H. ca. 38 cm, D. ca. 16 cm, D. Fuß: ca. 15 cm Datierung: Japan, Provinz Hizen, Arita, Edo-Zeit (1603 – 1868), 1700 – 1730

Blick in die nördliche Ostasiengalerie. Porzellansammlung, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

21.11.2011, DEU, Sachsen, Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Porzellansammlung

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21.11.2011, DEU, Sachsen, Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Porzellansammlung

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August 6, 2026

Meet the Partners of the “Joining the Shards” Project

We are launching a series introducing the organisations behind the international partnership of the project “Joining the Shards – Upskilling of Museum Operators for the Valorization and Narration of EU Ceramic Heritage Impacted by War and Conflict.”

Partners from Poland, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Netherlands reviewed the activities carried out to date and planned the next stages of cooperation. Discussions focused on ceramic heritage conservation practices, preparations for pilot research and training activities, project communication, as well as organisational and management issues.

The Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza (MIC) is the Lead Partner of the project. As one of the world’s leading museums dedicated to ceramics, it houses a collection of more than 60,000 objects, spanning from 4000 BC to contemporary works of art.

MIC is an internationally recognised centre for ceramic heritage research, conservation, and education. Its resources include a specialised library with 68,000 publications and a photographic archive of 70,000 images documenting ceramic collections from around the world.

Among its most remarkable holdings are ceramic fragments recovered from the museum after it was bombed in 1944. These objects stand as a powerful reminder of the need to protect cultural heritage affected by war and conflict.

The museum also operates a renowned ceramic conservation laboratory, working in partnership with the University of Bologna for more than 40 years. In addition to research and conservation, MIC delivers educational programmes for children, young people, senior citizens, and socially disadvantaged groups.

As the project’s Lead Partner, MIC is responsible for overall coordination, financial and administrative management, communication with the funding authority, project monitoring, and leading research on European ceramic heritage and best practices in ceramic conservation.

Together, we are working to preserve Europe’s ceramic heritage while strengthening expertise in its conservation, interpretation, and storytelling.

This project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.

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July 28, 2026

The Second International Meeting of the “Joining the Shards” Project Partners

From 23 to 25 June 2026, the second meeting of the “Joining the Shards” project partners took place in Dresden. The meeting, organised as part of the “Joining the Shards” project, was hosted by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

Partners from Poland, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Netherlands reviewed the activities carried out to date and planned the next stages of cooperation. Discussions focused on ceramic heritage conservation practices, preparations for pilot research and training activities, project communication, as well as organisational and management issues.

A key part of the programme was devoted to two main areas of the project: developing museum narratives around ceramic objects affected by wars and conflicts, and the conservation of this type of heritage. The partners presented examples of good practice, exchanged experiences, and discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with modern methods of interpreting, protecting, and conserving ceramic heritage. A separate session focused on new technologies used in ceramic conservation.

The participants also worked on guidelines designed to support museums and cultural institutions across Europe in protecting and presenting ceramic collections affected by armed conflicts.

The programme included a study visit to the porcelain collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, as well as visits to the conservation studio and collection storage facilities, providing specialists from different countries with an opportunity to exchange professional knowledge and experience.

Between 2005 and 2006, she also studied at the University of Wolverhampton (United Kingdom), attending both the School of Ceramics (2006) and the School of Graphic Communication (2005–2006). In 2010, she completed postgraduate studies in “Design Management in New Product Development”, organised by the Institute of Industrial Design in cooperation with the Warsaw School of Economics.

The “Joining the Shards” project aims to develop museum professionals’ skills in the conservation of ceramic heritage affected by war and in creating engaging museum narratives.

The project is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme.