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  • The National Museum Zurich, view from the Limmat side
    Swiss National Museum
  • The Forum of Swiss History in Schwyz
    Swiss National Museum
  • The Château de Prangins
    Swiss National Museum
  • The Collection Centre in Affoltern am Albis
    Swiss National Museum
 
 
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Collection

The Swiss National Museum holds a unique collection on the cultural history and the craftsmanship and artworks of Switzerland from its beginnings up to the present day. The Collection comprises more than 870,000 objects and is divided into 14 collection groups. The collections form the sources for and starting point of our research activities and exhibitions.

Toy horse

Organisation

The organisation, duties and responsibilities of the Swiss National Museum are regulated by the Federal law on the museums and collections of the Swiss Confederation (Bundesgesetz über die Museen und Sammlungen des Bundes, MSG) of 12 June 2009. Since its entry into force on 1 January 2010, the SNM, comprising the National Museum Zurich, the Château de Prangins, the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz and the Affoltern am Albis Collection Centre, has been a public-law institution with its own legal identity, which organises itself and maintains its own accounts.

Under the MSG, the SNM is subject to supervision by the Federal Council, which exercises its oversight function in particular by electing and discharging the Museum Council and approving the annual report. The Federal Council sets out the strategic objectives of the SNM, usually for four years; the achievement of these objectives is reviewed annually.

Pursuant to the Museums Act (Museumsgesetz), the organs of the SNM are the Museum Council, the Management Board and the auditors. The funding of the SNM is determined by Parliament every four years in the government’s cultural policy statement (Kulturbotschaft), most recently at the end of 2020 for the period 2021-2024.

Museum Council

Under the Federal law on the museums and collections of the Swiss Confederation, the Museum Council ensures the implementation of the strategic objectives set by the Federal Council and reports on their achievement.

Tim Guldimann (President, political scientist, diplomat and politician), Larissa Bieler* (Vice-President, Director SWI swissinfo.ch, SRG SSR, Berne and Executive Board member SRG SSR, Berne), Sonia Abun-Nasr (Member, Director of University Library Bern), André Holenstein (Member, Professor at the University of Bern), Andreane Jordan Meier (Member, lawyer and Director of Development and External Affairs at the Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois in Lausanne), Marie-France Meylan Krause (Member, Archaeologist and former director of the Site et Musée romains d'Avenches), Fulvio Pelli* (Member, lawyer and notary public), Vanessa Rüegger* (Member, Professor of Public Law at the University of Geneva)

*Members of the Finance Committee

The Executive Board of the Swiss National Museum

Management Board

Pursuant to the Museums Act, and subject to approval by the Federal Council, the Museum Council appoints the Director of the Swiss National Museum and, on request by the Director, the other members of the Management Board. The Director presides over the Management Board, is responsible for the operational management of the Swiss National Museum, recruits staff and represents the institution externally.

From left to right:

Markus Leuthard (Deputy Director, Head of the Collection Centre), Heidi Amrein (Chief Curator),  Beat Högger (Head of Museum Operations), Denise Tonella (Director), Helen Bieri Thomson (Director, Château de Prangins), Mirjam Richter and Barbara Meglen (Assistants to the Director), Günhan Akarçay (Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation)

Organisation chart of the Swiss National Museum in English

* Member of the Management Board
** Member of the extended Management Board

Procurements

The SNM uses the SNM Procurement List in accordance with Art. 27 of the Ordinance on Public Procurement (OPA) to publish in electronic form its procurements subject to the OPA above CHF 50'000.

Image archive

The image archive is the Swiss National Museum’s specialist photography documentation centre. The archive mainly contains images of objects from the collections, exhibitions, architecture and events. When placing an order, you will need to provide specific details of the image and its intended purpose. A fee is payable for this service and the acquisition of usage rights.

Image archive

Photos on a light desk

Jobs

We currently have no vacancies.

Vacancies in other languages: German .

Library

In its main focus areas of Cultural History, History and Art History, the Swiss National Museum’s publicly accessible library presents current exhibition catalogues and the latest volumes of a large number of journals. The Museum library offers attractive work spaces with views of the Limmat and Platzspitz Park; in the summer months the balcony is opened.

Library

The Library of the National Museum

Study centre

The public study centre includes the study collections, the library and reading room, the image archive and the Collection documentation. Objects and documents may only be consulted on site and by prior arrangement. For groups, a study room is available on request.

Study centre

 

Newsletter of the Swiss National Museum

The monthly newsletter of the Swiss National Museum keeps you up to date on the latest exhibitions and the key events taking place in our museums.

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