muzej

Muzej is the word for museum in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Slovenian. In these languages, a muzej is a public or private institution dedicated to preserving, studying, and exhibiting objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical significance. In English, the equivalent term is museum. A muzej maintains a collection of artifacts, artworks, natural specimens, and archival materials, organized in catalogs and inventories. Its core roles are preservation and conservation, scholarly research, and public education through exhibitions, programs, and publications. Museums typically operate under public, nonprofit, or private governance and may be funded by governments, foundations, donations, and admissions. Many provide access through printed catalogs and online digital collections.

Exhibitions usually include permanent displays that reflect the institution's core themes and temporary or thematic displays exploring specific topics. Staff commonly comprises curators, conservators, educators, registrars, and researchers. Conservation work protects objects from deterioration, while documentation and provenance research ensures ethical stewardship, including considerations around repatriation or restitution in appropriate contexts.

The modern museum tradition traces back to private cabinets of curiosity in early modern Europe and developed into public institutions during the Enlightenment and beyond. Today, museums and similar institutions worldwide serve as repositories of cultural heritage, natural history, science, and art, and they increasingly engage visitors through interactive digital media, educational programs, and inclusive access policies.