Museums in Austria

Museums in Austria

In Austria, the term museum is not protected by law and is not subject to any restrictions. Each institution and each employee makes a voluntary commitment to abide by the ICOM Code of Ethics and to apply these guidelines consciously and carefully in their daily museum work.

The competent Austrian authorities for museums have developed a registration system for museums to distinguish between museums which meet the ICOM definition and regard themselves as bound to it from other cultural or museum-like institutions and bodies.

The museum registration system is thus a sign of quality for sustainable and deliberate museum work and should serve as a guide to help authorities and decision-makers as well as visitors recognise high-quality museum work. The Austrian Museum Seal of Quality honours particularly outstanding museum work.

At the heart of every museum is its collection, which determines the nature of the museum as an institution. Documenting, researching, expanding and presenting the collection, as well as communicating the knowledge contained within it to the public, are the main tasks of museums; safeguarding and preserving the cultural heritage for future generations their long-term goal. Registered museums feel particularly obliged to fulfilling these tasks.

Museum Registration in Austria