The Financial Footprint of Museums: A Germany-Wide Study Published by the Institut für Museumsforschung

26.06.2025
Institut für Museumsforschung

The Institut für Museumsforschung has published the first ever Germany-wide study on the financial footprint of German museums. With the results of this research, museums in Germany will now be able to introduce the economic impact of their operations into any future dialogue with sponsors and stakeholders. The results clearly demonstrate the profound economic relevance of museums, as well as their signficance as a location factor, both in terms of tourism and enhancing the local quality of life.

However, in light of how compelling these findings are, the economic perspective should only ever be viewed as a supplement to what we already know about the intrinsic social, cultural and personal value of museums. Whether large or small, specialised or diverse, located in a rural or an urban area: as cultural institutions and facilities offering extracurricular educational opportunities, museums impart and promote social values and, as trustworthy institutions, reinforce the fabric of democracy.