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The organisation, duties and responsibilities of the Swiss National Museum are regulated by the Federal law on the museums and collections of the Swiss Confederation (Bundesgesetz über die Museen und Sammlungen des Bundes, MSG) of 12 June 2009. Since its entry into force on 1 January 2010, the SNM, comprising the National Museum Zurich, the Château de Prangins, the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz and the Affoltern am Albis Collections Centre, has been a public-law institution with its own legal identity, which organises itself and maintains its own accounts.

Under the MSG, the SNM is subject to supervision by the Federal Council, which exercises its oversight function in particular by electing and discharging the Museum Council and approving the annual report. The Federal Council sets out the strategic objectives of the SNM, usually for four years; the achievement of these objectives is reviewed annually.

Pursuant to the Museums Act (Museumsgesetz), the organs of the SNM are the Museum Council, the Management Board and the auditors. The funding of the SNM is determined by Parliament every four years in the government’s cultural policy statement (Kulturbotschaft), most recently at the end of 2020 for the period 2021-2024.

Under the Federal law on the museums and collections of the Swiss Confederation, the Museum Council ensures the implementation of the strategic objectives set by the Federal Council and reports on their achievement.

left to right:

André Holenstein (Member, Professor at the University of Bern), Sonia Abun-Nasr (Member, Director of the Vadiana Cantonal Library in St. Gallen), Stefano Stoll (Member, Director of Festival Images and exhibition curator), Marie-France Meylan Krause (Member, Director of the BIBEL+ORIENT Museum at the University of Fribourg), Tim Guldimann (President, political scientist, diplomat and politician), Fulvio Pelli* (Member, lawyer and notary public), Sandrine Giroud* (Vice-President, lawyer and Director of the Art Law Foundation in Geneva), Larissa Bieler* (Member, Director and Editor-in-Chief, SWI swissinfo.ch, SRG SSR, Berne and Executive Board member SRG SSR, Berne).

*Members of the Finance Committee

Pursuant to the Museums Act, and subject to approval by the Federal Council, the Museum Council appoints the Director of the Swiss National Museum and, on request by the Director, the other members of the Management Board. The Director presides over the Management Board, is responsible for the operational management of the Swiss National Museum, recruits staff and represents the institution externally.

From left to right:

Helen Bieri Thomson (Director, Château de Prangins), Dr Heidi Amrein (Chief Curator), Noemi Albert (Assistant to the Director), Denise Tonella (Director), Beat Högger (Head of Museum Operations), Barbara Meglen (Assistant to the Director), Markus Leuthard (Deputy Director, Head of the Collections Centre)

* Member of the Management Board
** Member of the extended Management Board