TEHIC-Handbook_of_best_practices

5. Heritage interpretation and university education 77 “When in 1965 the 7 th General Conference of ICOM 4 in New York concluded that theoretical museology should be developed at the universities , the education of museum specialists as an integral part of the creation of the profession obtained international backing. The only problem is in the fact that the definition of theoretical museology was imprecise, the result being its different development in different countries. If we can understand this today as a metaphor identifying a broad museological approach that through the training of new experts will also enable the development and advancement of museum work in a given time and space, then we will be able, with this kind of interpretation of the word ‘theoretical’, to understand the phrase ‘a theoretical approach’ […] as the academic museological framework within which museological practice is developing. It is only with this kind of approach that we will be capable of managing the changes that are coming upon and that are integrated in museum practice, quite frequently changing both, the concept, and the structure of the museum.” 5 Thus, a century was needed before the first (indirect) arguments reached recognition 4 ICOM stands for International Council of Museums, established in 1946, with headquarters in Paris, France. 5 Maroević 2004, 125. This quote first appeared in a paper published by Maroević in ICOFOM Study Series/ISS 33a (2001), 63-68 (in English). Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germany. Picture by Julio Rodriguez.