International law is created by and for states. But states are brought to life only by the will and imagination of human beings. It is us – the human beings – who create this system, influence, manipulate, neglect it, shape its further trajectory and feel its consequences. Every rule written, every treaty signed, every principle defined – these are the creations of human hands and minds.

The International Law Museum seeks to bring this human dimension into focus by making apparent and tangible the otherwise abstract concept of international law. It reminds us that legal norms affect the way lives are lived, stories are told and futures are shaped. 

The objects displayed in the International Law Museum tell stories of people amidst the events that we study due to their importance for shaping international law and the course of history. 

Founded in 2024, the International Law Museum is led by students and faculty of Lund University’s Faculty of Law, and is located in the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lund, Sweden.