Kosovo’s Children of War Museum in Danger

A home for untold stories

Located in a modest space in Prishtina, the Children of War Museum tells a story rarely centered: the experiences of children whose lives were interrupted by the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo.

Officially opened in January 2025, it is the first museum of its kind in Kosovo and only the second in the world, drawing inspiration from the War Childhood Museum in Sarajevo. The museum stands as a testament to the vision and leadership of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR KS). From the initial concept to the final installation, YIHR KS spearheaded every phase of the process: conducting research, building partnerships, securing funding, and navigating institutional obstacles. Collaborating with the War Childhood Museum, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Municipality of Prishtina, and the Kosovo Architecture Foundation, YIHR KS mobilized a broad network of professionals and community actors to bring the museum to life. It honors the memories of those whose childhoods were interrupted by violence, displacement and the silence that followed.

The museum’s first exhibition, “Play Interrupted”, invites visitors into personal narratives through objects donated by survivors, video testimonies, children’s drawings, and archival footage from the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo. It is a historical display and an emotional journey into what war does to the youngest and most vulnerable. Since its opening, the museum has welcomed a diverse audience, including students, educators, artists, diplomats, and tourists. It has become a space where remembrance, learning, and dialogue intertwine. More than 80 testimonies have already been collected from individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds: Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian. By creating a shared space for these voices, the museum has contributed to fostering interethnic dialogue, encouraging mutual understanding, and supporting long-term reconciliation efforts in Kosovo.

The museum is the product of a broad collective effort where researchers, anthropologists, artists, architects, and designers have joined forces to create a multifaceted initiative and have contributed to every stage of its development. Initially, the project had secured a location within the National Library of Kosovo; however, despite months of planning and formalized agreements, the allocation was unexpectedly withdrawn by the Library’s Council. This reversal, compounded by bureaucratic delays and limited institutional responsiveness, posed significant challenges to the implementation process. Nevertheless, the project team demonstrated exceptional perseverance by identifying an alternative location adjacent to the offices of YIHR Kosovo and successfully reconfiguring the museum’s full exhibition within this new space.

When policy threatens peacebuilding

In recent years, U.S. government support for civil society initiatives in the Balkans has significantly declined, particularly through reductions in USAID funding. YIHR Kosovo is one of many youth-led peacebuilding groups affected. Grants were canceled, promised funds were withdrawn and crucial resources were lost unexpectedly.

These cuts had severe consequences: six staff members had to be laid off, several ongoing projects were suspended, and those that continued, including the Children of War Museum, did so under strained conditions. The museum, while fully operational and open to the public, now functions with minimal staff and without stable institutional funding. Its maintenance and programming rely heavily on the dedication of a small but dynamic team.

More than just a budget cut, this is part of a broader erosion of support for transitional justice and human rights work in the region. This erosion risks silencing stories that took years to collect, stories that matter. This museum is about remembering the past, but also about shaping the future. It is a rare and necessary tool for reconciliation, healing, and education.

Give memory a future!

Now, more than ever, the Children of War Museum needs your support. In the face of shrinking international support, we are asking for solidarity so that the voices of children who lived through war are not silenced once again. Stand with us. Support the Children of War Museum.

Now is not the time to look away — it’s the time to act, to protect a space where truth, memory, and healing come together.

If you want to support the Children of War Museum, please contact YIHR KS at ksoffice@yihr.org.