Mission statement

Approved by the Board of Trustees at its 89th meeting on 10 November 2020.

We are the oldest museum in Salzburg
Founded in 1834, Salzburg Museum is the oldest existing and most comprehensive museum dedicated to the art and cultural history of Salzburg.

We work on behalf of society to preserve Salzburg’s cultural heritage
Salzburg Museum is a public, non-profit cultural and educational institution.
It acts on behalf of the city and province of Salzburg, in accordance with its statutes and the ‘Ethical Guidelines for Museums’ of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the standards of the ‘Austrian Museum Quality Seal’.
Salzburg Museum works in the service of society and acquires, preserves, researches, presents, and communicates Salzburg’s cultural and historical heritage in a continuous, sustainable, and future-oriented manner.

We are deeply connected to the history and people of Salzburg
Salzburg Museum derives its identity from the expertise of its staff, the character and core areas of its collections, the entirety of its exhibition venues, its own tradition and critically reflected institutional history, its support from the Salzburger Museumsverein (Salzburg Museum Association), its sponsorship by the city and province of Salzburg, and its close ties to the history, culture, and people of Salzburg.

We are part of Salzburg’s World Cultural Heritage
Salzburg Museum, through its work and locations in the historic old town – designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is a committed ambassador for the preservation and communication of this global heritage.

We contribute to a Europe of the regions
Salzburg Museum explores and communicates the uniqueness of Salzburg within the context of European art, culture, and intellectual history, and as a cultural institution, actively contributes to highlighting regional identities and shared values in a culturally rich Europe.

We focus on Salzburg and actively engage with our collection
Salzburg Museum develops its programmes and offerings with a focus on Salzburg and the distinctive character of its collections.
Both emphases provide the foundation for a quality-oriented museum concept within the context of contemporary museological issues, reflecting modern research perspectives and contemporary curatorial practices, relating to current methods and theories of art and cultural education, and taking into account global phenomena and societal developments.

We preserve our collections in accordance with international standards
We fulfil our mandate to protect our collections and preserve them for posterity through specialist knowledge, resources, and appropriate storage facilities.
In preservation, the greatest emphasis is placed on prevention and preventive measures, followed by conservation and restoration.
All examinations and measures performed on collection objects (conservation, restoration, analyses) are documented in writing and visually, ensuring their preservation for future generations.

We make our collections digitally accessible to share our knowledge
Salzburg Museum’s collections as a whole represent essential knowledge related to objects from the various eras of Salzburg’s art and cultural history.
As an institution committed to research and knowledge transfer, Salzburg Museum is also working on the digital cataloguing, documentation, and accessibility of its collections.

We generate deeper knowledge and new insights through research
Salzburg Museum engages in a wide range of research activities related to its collections, the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Salzburg, and the art and cultural history of the city and province of Salzburg. In collaboration with regional, national, and international partners, Salzburg Museum pursues its research priorities as essential groundwork, with the goal of ensuring their visibility and lasting documentation through exhibitions and publications.

We aim to reach people and be an accessible museum for all
Salzburg Museum engages a diverse audience through its activities and through both traditional and new media. It develops its offerings with a view to intercultural exchange and as a cross-generational and inclusive invitation to participate in culture.
Salzburg Museum is firmly committed to accessibility and actively participates in national and international networks to develop, discuss, implement, and evaluate measures for an inclusive museum.

We are a place of communication and an effective extracurricular learning centre
Salzburg Museum sees itself as a practical and relevant place of learning and cultural memory, without prescribing a specific educational framework. Through its art and cultural education programmes, it develops appropriate formats and methods to initiate learning and communication processes and enable a broad audience to participate in cultural life.
The programme for children and young people is tailored to their age and needs, varied and curriculum-oriented, and is developed in close dialogue with the target groups. Special programmes for families and adults create opportunities for intergenerational cultural experiences and lifelong learning.

We are a forum for volunteer involvement
Salzburg Museum is supported by numerous volunteers in unlocking its collections, creating, sharing, and researching knowledge, and in its day-to-day operations. Collaboration with the museum staff and a professional framework form the foundation for a culture of openness and appreciation for volunteer work at Salzburg Museum.

We create attractive cultural offerings in Salzburg
Salzburg Museum performs its cultural work for the sake of the people of Salzburg and for tourism, responding to tourism developments in Salzburg with high-quality offerings.
Salzburg Museum also regularly devotes its wide range of programmes to ‘big’ Salzburg themes (such as ‘Mozart’, ‘Silent Night’, ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘Salzburg Festival’, etc.), thus contributing to a thoughtful and reflective narrative of Salzburg’s cultural history.

We are a museum partner in Salzburg and pursue collaborations
Salzburg Museum engages in consistent regional, national, and international exchange with museums, universities, universities of applied sciences, as well as cultural, educational, and research institutions. Programmes, collaborations, professional exchange, and reciprocal loans reflect a spirit of partnership in cultural work and help to advance knowledge, share insights, and enhance the visibility of Salzburg’s art and cultural history.

We actively participate in social debates
Salzburg Museum sees itself as a place for social dialogue on the development of identities and as a sounding board for cultural plurality. Through its commitment to diversity and gender equality, Salzburg Museum actively contributes to a thoughtful discussion about the past, present, and future of an open society in Salzburg.

We are working on Salzburg Museum’s digital future
Salzburg Museum is committed to pursuing digitisation as a core part of its future strategy and to harnessing its potential to enhance the visibility and organisation of an inclusive, visitor-focused, and service-oriented museum experience.

We aim to make our museum work increasingly sustainable from an ecological perspective
Salzburg Museum is committed to its social and political responsibility and to operating as a cultural institution in a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and resource-efficient manner.
Salzburg Museum aims to focus its ongoing operations and specific tasks, including exhibition design and education, conservation and restoration, transport and storage, even more strongly on environmental considerations in future and to communicate these requirements to external service providers on site (e.g., food services and shops).