Our Mission

The work of the German Museums Association is guided by the values outlined below, which are grounded in the principles of Germany’s constitution and reflect our understanding of the role museums play in society.

Democracy and Education

Education empowers people to become active, informed citizens. As places of learning, museums help strengthen democracy. They make complex issues accessible and encourage dialogue. In doing so, they make it harder for polarizing disinformation to gain traction and help prevent extremism and populism.

Tolerance and Understanding

Museums encourage people to treat one another with respect. By being open, engaging in dialogue, and embracing different viewpoints, they promote mutual understanding, tolerance, and diversity. They help us to overcome what divides us and find common ground.

Responsibility and Dialogue

Museums are places of both history and innovation. They are committed to preserving objects, histories, and memories, while at the same time connecting them to contemporary issues and ideas. Operating independently, with sensitivity and an appreciation of what is important over the long term, they offer new perspectives and visions for the future.

The German Museums Association works primarily in the following areas, offering a range of services and resources to support museums and museum professionals.

Advocacy

We advocate for museums in cultural policy bodies and provide guidance to public officials and policymakers. We contribute to legislation affecting the museum sector and consistently work to advance museums’ interests. We champion fair working conditions for museum staff and adequate long-term funding for museums. Across a variety of communication channels, we raise awareness of museum issues – among professionals, the public, and policymakers.

Networking and Exchange

With our fifteen active working groups and nationwide events, we provide opportunities for museum professionals to connect and collaborate. We also work closely with state-level museum authorities and associations, and foster cooperation with European museums by partnering with other institutions and maintaining strong ties with the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO). In addition, we work with the German National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), helping museums connect with the right partners and points of contact.

Practical Resources

We publish hands-on guides and manuals designed by museum professionals for museum professionals. These publications set quality standards, provide guidance, and support everyday museum work. To help museums pursue innovation, we offer a range of programs that facilitate access to funding and training opportunities. We also maintain a comprehensive nationwide job portal to assist with recruitment. Finally, our reporting on museum-related topics and events delivers insights into the trends, debates, and developments shaping the museum world.

Over the next several years, we will be concentrating on the following issues, which are key to ensuring museums remain relevant and resilient:

Political Advocacy and Public Outreach 

The museum sector, comprising over 7,000 institutions across the country, must be taken into account in all cultural policymaking decisions. As spaces for education and dialogue, museums foster a culture of debate and are indispensable democratic institutions. It is essential that they have a strong voice.

We work proactively to ensure that museum-related issues are heard by policymakers, featured in leading media, and addressed within partner organisations. We engage with key social and political topics, highlighting the roles museums play and the contributions they make. In doing so, we advocate for the interests of museums and their staff, share forward-looking positions and bold visions for the future, and communicate them across the museum sector and beyond.

Guidance in Times of Crisis

In times of crisis, museums provide guidance. They offer stability, perspective, support, and inspiration. To serve society responsibly in this role, museums must be able to act with confidence in the face of uncertainty.

We study how diverse ecological, geopolitical, and social crises affect museums and – by offering strategic and practical solutions – work with them to initiate and sustain meaningful change. Our goal is to help museums realize their full potential as active and responsible contributors to public life.

Forward-Looking Museum Management

Museums are key assets to the towns and cities they serve, with the potential to contribute significantly to their region’s social and economic vitality. To fully realize this potential, they need to modernize existing structures and align their organizational development with evolving needs and expectations.

We play an active role in this transformation, sharing best-practice examples and recommending modern, more effective ways of working that encourage collaboration, innovation, and flexibility. At the same time, we empower museum professionals, ensuring they have the support and recognition needed to help museums evolve and succeed.

Modern Collection Practices 

Museums maintain high-quality collections through the preservation, study, interpretation, acquisition, and exhibition of tangible and intangible heritage. This requires collections to be secured and protected over the long term. Modern collection practices also require transparency and participation.

We help museums to unlock their collections’ full potential – that is, to make them accessible digitally and physically, to embrace diverse perspectives in acquisition and curation, and to build broader research networks.

Museums for Everyone 

Museums have the power to engage people across all ages and all walks of life. To achieve this, they must be recognized by policymakers as essential educational and cultural institutions.

With our guidance and insight, museums can increase their relevance and appeal by becoming more visitor-focused and adapting their exhibitions and educational programs to meet the needs of diverse audiences.