Museums and Collections in Bavaria

The Bavarian museum landscape is comprised of more than 1,350 facilities, which are owned by the state, districts, administrative districts, towns and communities as well as associations, foundations, companies and private individuals.
This makes Bavaria’s museum landscape the most diverse and active within Germany and highly attractive. With approximately 20 million museum visitors each year, Bavaria reigns supreme nationwide.

These positive figures are the result of the Bavarian State Government's vigorous cultural policy. This policy is exemplified by prominent museum projects. These include the Brandhorst Museum housing the collection by the same name, the imposing and newly constructed building of the Staatliches Museum für aegyptische Kunst (State Museum of Egyptian Art) right in the centre of the Munich Art District and the acceptance of the unique Sammlung Goetz (Goetz Collection), which is world-renowned for being one of the most outstanding privately owned art collections.

To date, there have already existed other outstanding state museums outside of the Bavarian capital such as the Bavarian Armee Museum Ingolstadt, the Neues Museum Nuremberg (State Museum of Art and Design) and the Augsburg State Textile and Industrial Museum. With the Glasmuseum Frauenau (Frauenau Glass Museum) and the Selb/Hohenberg Porzellanikon (a former factory housing three separate museums), further state facilities have been established in two more districts. In 2018, the Museum der Bayerischen Geschichte (Museum of Bavarian History) will open its doors to the public and set new standards in fields ranging from energy technology to museum didactics.

The state museums have roughly 40 branch museums in all administrative districts. This assists us in pursuing our goal to put the state collections on display in the whole of Bavaria.

The majority of all museums in Bavaria are non-state facilities. Regarding advice in all technical and organisational questions as well as in matters of funding, the Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria serves as the competent authority for all owners and supporting institutions.