Museums and Galleries

Bavaria - Number One for Museums and Galleries

Bavaria's museum landscape includes more than 1.150 institutions operated by the state, municipalities, districts and towns, but also by associations, foundations, firms and private collectors, which makes it the most diverse and alive museum landscape in Germany. More than 20 million visitors per year make Bavaria the undisputed number one nationwide. 

These figures are the pleasing result of a cultural policy consistently pursued by the Bavarian government. Particularly in recent times, the Free State of Bavaria has set great examples in the advancement of its museum landscape: 

• "Pinakothek der Moderne", a modern art museum in the center of Munich
• "State Museum for Art and Design" in Nuremberg
• "Georg Schäfer Museum" in Schweinfurt
• "Museum of Imagination" in Bernried
• "Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum", a traffic museum in Munich run by the German Museum

Bavaria's government makes sure to keep its museum landscape up-to-date and in motion: the present restoration of the Bavarian National Museum is one of the most notable examples of the focus on cultural policy. The erection of two new museums, the "Sammlung Brandhorst" ("Brandhorst Collection") and the State Museum of Egyptian Art are two further excellent museum projects in the making.

State museums and art galleries are largely located in Munich. However, the decision was made to build a state-owned textile museum in Augsburg, which makes it the third of its kind to be located outside of Munich, alongside the State Museum for Art and Design in Nuremberg and the Army Museum in Ingolstadt. 

State-owned collections are displayed in every district of Bavaria and can be found in one of the 40 branch museums of Bavarian mother houses. 

Non-government institutions make up the biggest part of Bavarian museums. The state office for non-government museums in Bavaria is responsible for providing the museum owners with advice in case of technical and organizational issues as well as their financial support. A local information center called "Infopoint Museen und Schlösser in Bayern" ("Infopoint Museums and Castles in Bavaria"), provides information about the impressive diversity of Bavaria's museum landscape. 

Interesting links: 

Museums in Bavaria, an extensive guide to 1.150 museums, galleries, castles and palaces issued by the State Office for non-government museums in Bavaria.