Visitor Research Network: The Cornerstone Has Been Laid

09.05.2022
Institut für Museumsforschung

On 22 March 2022 the Network Visitor Research Initative held a working meeting at the Jüdisches Museum Berlin.

Some thirty participants from museums and research institutes joined individuals working as freelancers in the field in three working groups to discuss the topics of 1) articles of association, 2) communications and 3) planning the next conference. A position paper (PDF, 89 KB, in German) prepared by the partners of the founding initiative (Deutsche Arbeitswelt Ausstellung – DASA, Deutscher Museumsbund, Institut für Museumsforschung, Jüdisches Museum Berlin (Jewish Museum), Museum für Naturkunde Berlin for the Verbund der Leibniz-Forschungsmuseen and the Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) served as the basis for these discussions. The Initiative held an initial conference at the DASA in Dortmund in November 2021.

Next Steps: Official Founding of the Association and a First Conference

The formal founding of the association will take place in a small circle in June-July 2022, after which it will be possible to join the association. Both institutional and individual memberships are available. Those working in the field of visitor research with, at or for museums can become individual members. The first regular general assembly is planned for November 2022 in Bonn. The first major conference – on the topic of “Digital Visitor Research” – will take place in November 2022 as well. A call for papers is planned.

If you would like to stay informed about further developments or get involved, you can contact the Institut für Museumsforschung – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin by email: ifm[at]smb.spk-berlin.de. The Visitor Research Network has recently joined Twitter (in German).