Marie-Paule Jungblut, PhD
Marie-Paule Jungblut of Luxembourg is a distinguished public historian known for her intellectual and practical leadership in expanding the traditional boundaries of museums—both in terms of the subjects they address and the ways they engage audiences, in person and online.
As chief curator of the Luxembourg City History Museum, she created numerous international traveling exhibitions and later served as vice director of the Museums of the City of Luxembourg. From 2012 to 2015, she was the director of the four historical museums of Basel, Switzerland.
Marie-Paule Jungblut has consistently demonstrated a willingness to approach challenging and sensitive topics, as evidenced by exhibitions such as Murder and Manslaughter: An Exhibition About Life. Collaborating with museums from Finland, Germany, and the United States, she played a leading role in bridging the digital divide with the international exhibition Explore Poverty.
In 2021-2024, she led a interdisciplinary team of researchers and game designers from the University of Luxembourg, the Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln), and Carleton College (MN, USA) to develop the serious game The Migrant’s Chronicles: 1892. This historically grounded, decision-based educational game was released for free in English and Luxembourgish on Google Play and the App Store. Under her direction, the project successfully coordinated institutional collaboration, managed resources and timelines, and oversaw all aspects of game design, narrative development, and technical implementation.
In addition to her work in museums and games, Jungblut curated the permanent exhibition at the European Museum Schengen and the exhibition on the Schengen Agreements for the Luxembourg Pavilion at the 2010 World’s Fair in Shanghai, representing her country on an international stage.
In 2024-2025, she curated the Google Arts & Culture exhibition 1848: Revolution in Luxembourg, commissioned by the Luxembourg Parliament and the National Archives of Luxembourg, with the support of the company uideation. This digital exhibition represents yet another example of her commitment to innovation in public history and accessible, cross-platform storytelling.
Jungblut has also held key leadership roles in the International Council of Museums (ICOM). In 2004, she was elected President of the International Committee of Museums of Archaeology and History (ICMAH), a position she held for six years, contributing to global discourse on the role of museums in society.
In 2019, she earned her doctoral degree from the University of Trier with a dissertation titled Heimatfabrik Lokalmuseum(“The Function of Local Museums to Generate Feelings of Home”), which explores how local museums contribute to belonging and community identity. The published version is available via Melusina Press, the University of Luxembourg’s digital publishing platform: Heimatfabrik Lokalmuseum.
Currently, Marie-Paule Jungblut teaches public history and museology at the Universities of Luxembourg and Liège, where she continues to shape the next generation of museum professionals and public historians. Through her innovative work and scholarly publications, she remains a thought leader in her field.