Every year in May Germany's museums celebrate International Museums Day. The idea of this initiative is to raise awareness of the variety of more than 6,500 museums in Germany and their manifold collections. Unter the patronage of the President of the German Bundesrat.

International Museums Day in Germany is being generously supported by the German Group of Saving Banks and their cultural foundations.

The next International Museums Day will be celebrated in Germany on Sunday, 15 May 2011.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM), announces 2011 theme for International Museum Day: “Museum and Memory".

Noting the ever-growing role of museums of many countries among institutions of science, culture and technology, in line with deep-seated processes in the development of the aspirations and progressive actions of people throughout the world seeking ways to intensify communion and mutual understanding among peoples,

Considers it expedient, with the aim of further unifying the creative aspirations and efforts of museums and drawing the attention of the world public to their activity, to take a decision on the annual holding of an International Museum Day. This day to be held using the slogan: "Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples",

Recommends that the International Museum Day should be held annually on 18 May, starting in 1978, and accompanied by the opening of new museums and exhibitions, meetings with visitors, acquaintance of the public with the aims and tasks and practical activity of the International Council of Museums and its national organizations, publication of materials on this subject in the press and also by the organization of exchange exhibitions and international forums to discuss major problems of the theory and practice of the museum profession,

Expresses confidence that the annual International Museum Day will help to increase the role played by the museum which uses the universal language of the original object in order to develop international understanding.

Further information: www.museumstag.de

or http://icom.museum/press-releases/press-release/article/launch-of-international-museum-day-2011-objects-tell-your-story.html