Become a Member

Over 4,300 members and supporters are actively involved in the German Museums Association, working together to promote a diverse, future-ready museum sector. Over the past 100 years, what began as a small group of museum directors has grown into a large and influential association – one that has achieved much and is ready to accomplish even more.

In addition to individual memberships for museum professionals and institutional memberships for museums, we offer supporting memberships to people and companies interested in culture and history.

Professional Membership

Professional membership is available to:

• Museum staff
• Students pursuing a career in the museum sector
• Freelancers or other professionals working mainly with museums
• The annual membership fee for professional members of the German Museums Association is €90, with a reduced rate of €50 available to students, interns, and recipients of unemployment benefits (ALG I and II).

The annual membership fee for professional members of the German Museums Association is €90, with a reduced rate of €50 available to students, interns, and recipients of unemployment benefits (ALG I and II).

Membership benefits include a personal museum pass granting free or discounted admission to our member museums, free access to the German Museums Association’s publications, and reduced registration fees for the Association’s annual conferences.

If you qualify for reduced membership fees, please submit proof of eligibility to the German Museums Association’s administrative offices by November 1 of each year.

Institutional Membership

Institutional membership is available to:

• Public or private museums
• Related institutions
• Professional museum associations

The annual membership fee for institutional members is based on the size of the museum. Institutions with up to 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff pay €160 per year, those with more than 20 FTE pay €300, and those with over 50 FTE pay €500.

Depending on the membership category, institutional members receive two, three, or six transferable museum passes, granting free or discounted admission to our member museums. Additional benefits include free access to our job portal and to the German Museums Association’s publications, as well as discounted registration fees for the Association’s annual conferences.

Commercial Membership

Commercial membership is available to companies wishing to support the museum sector and the work of the German Museums Association.

Commercial membership offers the following benefits:

• Access to a network of over 4,000 people
• Five museum passes for your employees, clients or business partners, with free admission to over 1,300 museums
• Free access to Association publications, ensuring you stay up to date with the latest developments
• Discounted day pass for our annual conference
• Priority booking for commercial conference booths
• 15% discount on adverts in the Bulletin and in Museumskunde
• Free posting of museum-related job listings

Promotional opportunities provided free of charge for commercial members:

• Your logo on our website (including a direct link to your site; 115,000 visitors per month)
• Your logo and an editorial feature in the Association magazine (1,000 print copies; over 4,000 subscribers)
• Your logo and link in the Association’s newsletter (over 9,000 subscribers)

Commercial membership is €730 per year.

Friends Membership

This membership category is for private individuals wishing to support the museum sector and the work of the German Museums Association.

Friends of the Association receive the following benefits:

• Personal museum pass, with free admission to over 1,300 museums
• Free access to Association publications, ensuring you stay up to date with the latest developments in the museum sector.
• Information on and invitations to the German Museums Association’s annual conference, other Association conferences, and events hosted by NEMO (Network of European Museum Organisations)
• Discounted day pass for our annual conference

Friends membership is €365 per year.