Military history: The new HGM knowledge blog

Last Monday, shortly after 13:00, the HGM Knowledge Blog went online at http://blog.hgm.at/, offering deep insights into the museum. Under the categories "Object Stories," "Current," "Research," and "Behind the Scenes," the blog supports the HGM in conveying its core areas. This expands the museum's virtual presence, as the blog is the supplementary communication channel where the user and the HGM can engage in a dialogue.

With the HGM Knowledge Blog, the museum opens up a new narrative approach to itself. At the same time, it targets a new potential visitor segment, which consumes culture and science digitally, but may not have been interested in military-historical or museum topics in the past. "Of course, such a visit to the blog cannot replace a real visit to the museum," emphasizes Director Christian Ortner, "because only the actual sight of an object can hint at its aura. Apart from that, we are obligated to share our knowledge about these objects with the public and also inform them about our activities. Furthermore, the museum has a research mandate, and the blog is a suitable platform for fulfilling this mandate - on one hand, to communicate this knowledge, and on the other, to arouse curiosity and interest in the subject of military history."

And this broad expertise is often generated in places that are usually closed to the public. However, virtually, they can be made accessible through the HGM Knowledge Blog. Who has ever seen the restoration in progress, watched the curator setting up a showcase, or learned details about new educational programs? That's why this new digital strategy involves all departments of the museum. The museum's contents and modern communication about them are certainly not contradictory for the HGM!

The Knowledge Blog of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Wien: http://blog.hgm.at/