Austrian Museum Quality Seal Awarded to 69 Museums in 2025

The prestigious Austrian Museum Quality Seal was presented to 69 museums during the 36th Austrian Museum Conference, held at Schloss Maretsch in Bolzano. This annual recognition acknowledges museums that adhere to international standards of museum operations as set by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), focusing on the preservation of cultural heritage and the promotion of excellence in museum work.

This year, 14 museums received the Quality Seal for the first time or after a reapplication, while an additional 55 museums had their certification extended. With these latest awards, a total of 311 museums across Austria now hold the Austrian Museum Quality Seal, accounting for 39% of the 797 registered museums in the country. The seal, introduced in 2002 by ICOM Austria and the Austrian Museums Association, is valid for five years and serves as a benchmark for innovative, inclusive, and ethically responsible museum practices.

The awarded museums represent a broad spectrum of Austria's cultural landscape, spanning seven federal states. Newly recognized or re-certified institutions include Keltenwelt Frögg-Rosegg in Carinthia, Museum Vogtturm in Salzburg, Museum Galerie Schloss Landeck and Museum Stift Stams in Tyrol, Museum Bezau and the FIS Skimuseum in Damüls (Vorarlberg), Stickerei - Museum. Archiv. Kommunikation. in Lustenau, as well as notable Vienna-based museums such as the Heidi Horten Collection, Das Rote Wien at the Karl Marx Hof, the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance, and the Josephinum - Medical Museum in Vienna. Museums like Schubert Schloss Atzenbrugg, Stadtmuseum Schärding Heimathaus, and the Lehárvilla in Bad Ischl were also recognized for successful reapplications.

The remaining 55 museums that received extensions demonstrated ongoing commitment to maintaining and enhancing their institutional quality. These include institutions from Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, and Vienna, covering a diverse range of themes from art and literature to technology, history, and science.

Since its inception, the Austrian Museum Quality Seal has been overseen by an independent, volunteer jury comprising experts from various museum and cultural backgrounds. The jury is responsible for evaluating applications, offering guidance, and ensuring that all awarded museums continue to meet rigorous international standards. The process highlights the ongoing efforts of Austrian museums to foster inclusivity, ethical stewardship, and public engagement.

The Quality Seal not only serves as a mark of distinction for recipients but also emphasizes the importance of museums as public spaces for reflection, education, and dialogue. This recognition underscores the significant role these institutions play in preserving Austria's tangible and intangible heritage, and in shaping societal attitudes through accessible and responsible presentation of history and culture.

The full list of newly recognized and re-certified museums is available on the ICOM Austria website, providing transparency and public acknowledgment of these institutions' achievements in museum excellence.