The project Hedgehog’s Home – Inventing a Better World, developed by the Museum of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, has been awarded the Grand Prix in the category of Citizens’ Engagement & Awareness-raising at the 2025 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards.
Through co-creation with young children and students, the project reimagined Branko Ćopić’s beloved poem Hedgehog’s Home, sparking reflection on home, community, and shared memory across Serbia and beyond.
For decades, Ćopić’s story of a hedgehog who proudly protects his modest forest home has been a cherished part of childhood in the former Yugoslavia. Seventy years after its publication, the poem continues to evoke a sense of belonging and nostalgia. Building on its cultural resonance, the Museum of Yugoslavia created an exhibition that invites visitors to reflect on identity, memory, and the meaning of home in a changing world.
The exhibition combined fiction and documentary storytelling. The first part, an imaginative space co-designed with children aged five to ten from Belgrade, Zagreb, and Sarajevo, as well as scenography students from the University of Belgrade, invited visitors to experience the story through play and creativity. The second part explored the life and legacy of Branko Ćopić, examining how his work continues to shape collective memory.
Over 100 creative workshops were organised across Serbia, engaging children of different ages through art, storytelling, and emotional literacy. Accessibility and inclusion were at the heart of the project: the entire exhibition was available in Serbian Sign Language, and a theatrical performance created with the local deaf community was later integrated into the school curriculum for deaf pupils.
Due to strong public interest, the exhibition was extended twice and welcomed more than 150,000 visitors. A broad programme of readings, guided tours, and school visits accompanied it, turning the museum into a space for dialogue and shared reflection.
“An emotionally powerful and inclusive museum project that focuses on storytelling, intangible heritage, and the safeguarding of shared cultural narratives,” said the awards’ jury. “A subversive initiative that awakens shared regional memory while promoting European values.”
The Awards Ceremony, held in Brussels as part of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025, brought together around 600 heritage professionals, volunteers, and supporters from across Europe. Organised by Europa Nostra and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, the ceremony celebrated outstanding achievements in cultural heritage that strengthen communities and foster a sense of European belonging.
The exhibition combined fiction and documentary storytelling. The first part, an imaginative space co-designed with children aged five to ten from Belgrade, Zagreb, and Sarajevo, as well as scenography students from the University of Belgrade, invited visitors to experience the story through play and creativity. The second part explored the life and legacy of Branko Ćopić, examining how his work continues to shape collective memory.
Over 100 creative workshops were organised across Serbia, engaging children of different ages through art, storytelling, and emotional literacy. Accessibility and inclusion were at the heart of the project: the entire exhibition was available in Serbian Sign Language, and a theatrical performance created with the local deaf community was later integrated into the school curriculum for deaf pupils.
Due to strong public interest, the exhibition was extended twice and welcomed more than 150,000 visitors. A broad programme of readings, guided tours, and school visits accompanied it, turning the museum into a space for dialogue and shared reflection.
“An emotionally powerful and inclusive museum project that focuses on storytelling, intangible heritage, and the safeguarding of shared cultural narratives,” said the awards’ jury. “A subversive initiative that awakens shared regional memory while promoting European values.”
The Awards Ceremony, held in Brussels as part of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025, brought together around 600 heritage professionals, volunteers, and supporters from across Europe. Organised by Europa Nostra and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, the ceremony celebrated outstanding achievements in cultural heritage that strengthen communities and foster a sense of European belonging.
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