The Museum of Abandonment/Muzeul Abandonului, an independent museum dedicated to preserving the memory of one of Romania’s deepest social traumas, has been named a winner of the World Summit Awards 2025 in the Culture & Heritage category. It was selected among 40 global winners following an international evaluation process that reviewed more than 400 projects from 182 countries.

The final selection was carried out by the WSA Grand Jury, made up of 27 experts from 25 countries, who assessed initiatives based on social impact, local relevance, ethical use of technology, and alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“This recognition comes five years after the launch of the Museum of Abandonment’s research initiative, a digital and participatory museum-forum that maps the phenomenon of child abandonment and institutionalisation in Romania, generating public dialogue, reflection and social mediation around this topic,” reads the press release.

The award positions the Romanian museum as an international best practice in cultural heritage and social memory, demonstrating how digital projects can create safe spaces for addressing difficult historical experiences. According to its representatives, it shows how painful collective histories can be transformed into tools for education, public dialogue and cultural impact with global relevance.

“We are a small–big museum, a private initiative with a small team, but one that over the past five years has gathered thousands of documents and reached hundreds of thousands of digital visitors and several thousand physical visitors. This award is a form of recognition that comes from outside, at a global level, and gives us the confidence that the difficult path we have taken is necessary and valuable,” said Oana Drăgulinescu, founder of the Museum of Abandonment. 

As part of its international recognition, the Romanian museum will be showcased at the WSA Global Congress, scheduled to take place in Vienna in May 2026, alongside digital initiatives from around the world focused on building a more inclusive and responsible digital future.

Romania is also represented at the 2025 World Summit Awards by another winning project, Vote Monitor, developed by Commit Global, which received an award in the Governance and Civic Engagement category.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: press release)