What Kunstmuseum Bern does

Kunstmuseum Bern is a Swiss art museum operated by the Stiftung Kunstmuseum Bern, a private foundation under Swiss law established in 1875 by the Canton of Bern, City of Bern, Burgergemeinde Bern, Bernischer Kantonal-Kunstverein, and Bernische Künstlergesellschaft. The museum opened its current building in 1879 and houses one of Switzerland's most important and internationally significant art collections, spanning late medieval to contemporary works, with particular strength in classical modernism featuring Pablo Picasso, Ferdinand Hodler, and Meret Oppenheim. Operations are split across the historic 1879 Stettler building and a 1983 extension, with the on-site Adolf Wölfli Foundation (art brut research and archive) as a core subsidiary.

The institution generates revenue through a mix of museum admissions (CHF 24 standard), multilingual guided tours and workshops, school and corporate programs, donations, and corporate sponsorship (notably UBS), supplemented by public subsidies from cantonal and municipal authorities and foundations including Swisslos and Bundesamt für Kultur. Distribution channels include on-site box office, online ticketing, the Swiss Museum Pass (covering 500+ museums), and a Digital Guide platform at guide.kunstmuseumbern.ch available in multiple languages. The museum runs rotating major exhibitions, including the 2026 'Life in Full. Old Masters from Duccio to Liotard' and the international co-organized 'Franz Gertsch. Blow-Up (Part I)' with Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Deichtorhallen Hamburg, supported by an art-education program spanning children, families, schools, and adults.

Kunstmuseum Bern operates under shared leadership with Zentrum Paul Klee (combined 258,940 visitors in 2025) and pursues a major renovation project known as 'Eiger' — a Schmidlin Architekten design selected via international architectural competition — for which a CHF 15.7 million planning credit was approved by the Grosser Rat in September 2025 but rejected by voters in 2026. Director Nina Zimmer is departing in January 2027 to lead Belvedere Vienna after ten years, marking a notable leadership transition. Marketing is multi-channel (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email newsletter, PR), and the museum won the 2026 German Online Communication Prize for its 'Kirchner ist zurück' social media campaign.

Name

Kunstmuseum Bern

Legal name

Stiftung Kunstmuseum Bern

Website

https://kunstmuseumbern.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kunstmuseum Bern is a Swiss nonprofit art foundation operating a major museum in Bern, presenting a permanent collection from late medieval to contemporary art alongside rotating exhibitions, multilingual guided tours, workshops, and a Digital Guide platform for general visitors, schools, and private groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum / Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Art museum services
• Permanent art collection
• Temporary art exhibitions
• Museum guided tours
• Art education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase tickets for admission to the museum and its exhibitions. Ticket prices range from CHF 24 for standard admission with various discounts available.
2. Guided Tours and Educational Programs: The museum offers paid guided tours, workshops for children, adults, and families, as well as special educational programs for schools and groups.
3. Donations and Sponsorship: The museum accepts donations and partnerships with corporate sponsors including UBS and various cultural foundations to support operations and exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kunstmuseum Bern operates a fine arts museum presenting a permanent collection spanning late medieval to contemporary art (including works by Picasso, Hodler, and Oppenheim) alongside rotating temporary exhibitions. It sells admission tickets, guided tours in multiple languages, and workshops for children, families, and adults, supplemented by a multilingual Digital Guide for self-guided visits. The institution is operated by Stiftung Kunstmuseum Bern under Swiss foundation law.

Product overview

Kunstmuseum Bern operates as a major fine arts museum with a dual offering: a permanent collection spanning late medieval to contemporary art (featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Ferdinand Hodler, Meret Oppenheim, and significant Swiss/Bernese artists), and rotating temporary exhibitions including major artist retrospectives and thematic presentations. Supporting offerings include a Digital Guide web application, guided tours in multiple languages, and comprehensive art education workshops for all ages. The museum's collection presentation runs across two buildings—the historic Old Wing and the 1983 New Wing—with the Adolf Wölfli Foundation also housed on-site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Collection (Permanent Collection) The permanent art collection of Kunstmuseum Bern, spanning from late Middle Ages to contemporary art. Features works by Pablo Picasso, Ferdinand Hodler, Meret Oppenheim, and significant Swiss and Bernese artists. Recognized as one of the most important and diverse collections in Switzerland with international significance, especially for classical modernism.
• Life in Full (Das volle Leben) Exhibition Temporary exhibition showcasing Old Masters from Duccio to Liotard, featuring Bernese Renaissance and early Florentine/Sienese painting from the 13th to 15th centuries. Runs 13 February 2026 to 27 September 2026.
• Franz Gertsch: Blow-Up (Part I) Exhibition Two-part retrospective of Swiss photorealist artist Franz Gertsch (1930-2022), featuring works spanning over six decades. Co-organized with Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, and Museum Franz Gertsch in Burgdorf. Runs 14 August 2026 to 17 January 2027.
• Journey into Freedom Exhibition Upcoming exhibition exploring dream destinations including Capri, Skagen on the Danish North Sea coast, and Monte Verità in Ticino. Opens 30 October 2026 and runs through 31 January 2027.
• Digital Guide Web-based digital guide available at guide.kunstmuseumbern.ch, providing collection and exhibition information, artwork details, provenance labels, and self-guided tour functionality. Includes the Digital Guide Sammlung for the permanent collection and thematic guides such as the Digital Guide Alte Meister for Old Masters exhibitions. Accessible in German, French, and English.
• Guided Tours Public guided tours of the collection and temporary exhibitions offered in German, French, English, and Italian, including exhibition roundups, midday art talks (Werkgespräch/Kunst über Mittag), evening walks, and curator-led tours. Priced from CHF 5 plus admission for public tours, with private tour options at CHF 200 (60 min) and CHF 300 (90 min) for groups up to 25 people.
• Workshops and Art Education Programs Art education programs including workshops for children, teens, and adults; family programs (KunstSpatz, Erste Schritte, Artur); Cool Kids English workshops; Russian-language workshops; Fäger holiday courses; and bilingual workshops. Offered in German, French, English, Russian, and Ukrainian. Pricing includes CHF 30 for current-inspired adult workshops, CHF 10 for children's workshops, CHF 240 for custom workshops up to 25 people, and CHF 140 for school visits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 258,940 combined visitors in 2025 for Kunstmuseum Bern and Zentrum Paul Klee

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Museum Franz GertschcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of Franz Gertsch Blow-Up exhibition (Part I at Kunstmuseum Bern, Part II at Museum Franz Gertsch in Burgdorf). Two-part retrospective covering over 60 years of artistic work.
• Louisiana Museum of Modern ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Franz Gertsch Blow-Up exhibition. The exhibition was originally developed by Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in close collaboration with the artist and his family.
• Deichtorhallen HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Franz Gertsch Blow-Up exhibition. The exhibition was previously shown at Deichtorhallen Hamburg as part of its European rediscovery.
• Museen BernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizer of 'Gratis ins Museum' initiative providing free museum entry on select Saturdays. Includes numerous museums and cultural institutions in Bern and surrounding area.
• Burgergemeinde BernminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the 'Gratis ins Museum' initiative alongside Museen Bern and Migros Kulturprozent.
• Migros KulturprozentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the 'Gratis ins Museum' initiative alongside Museen Bern and Burgergemeinde Bern.
• Stiftung ExpressionismusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpressionism Foundation associated with Kunstmuseum Bern. Collection of 25 outstanding works assembled by the Bern family of Hans Rudolf and Silvia Tschumi.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fondation Beyeler: Major Swiss private art museum near Basel with a world-class modern and contemporary collection. Comparable to Kunstmuseum Bern in collection prestige, premium admission pricing, corporate sponsorship (e.g., Novartis/Isolde Burn heritage), and blockbuster exhibition programming.
• Kunsthaus Zürich: Switzerland's other flagship fine art museum, holding major international collections (Bührle, Chipperfield extension). Directly comparable to Kunstmuseum Bern in scope (late medieval to contemporary), public-foundation governance, and combined ticketing/sponsorship model.
• Zentrum Paul Klee: Sibling institution co-led with Kunstmuseum Bern until 2027. The combined 258,940 visitor figure demonstrates that Paul Klee functions as a direct operational peer, sharing leadership, marketing, and ticketing infrastructure.
• Museum Ludwig: Cologne's leading museum of classical modernism and contemporary art, with strong Picasso holdings mirroring Kunstmuseum Bern's. Comparable as a European municipal/foundation museum focused on 20th-century art with significant educational programming.
• Städel Museum: Frankfurt's encyclopedic art museum spanning Old Masters to contemporary. Comparable collection breadth (medieval to modern) and the German-market equivalent of Kunstmuseum Bern's Old Masters + modernism dual identity.
• Pinakothek der Moderne: Munich's flagship modern and contemporary art museum operated under Bavarian state stewardship. Directly comparable in operating model, scale of programming, and rotation of international temporary exhibitions.
• Museum Franz Gertsch: Swiss museum in Burgdorf that co-organised the Franz Gertsch Blow-Up retrospective with Kunstmuseum Bern. Comparable in scale and Swiss regional museum identity, and a direct programming partner.
• Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMCS): Strasbourg's modern and contemporary art museum. Comparable as a European regional fine arts museum combining permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and educational programming in a public-foundation setting.

Broad incumbents

• Deichtorhallen Hamburg: Major Hamburg venue for contemporary art and photography that co-organised the Franz Gertsch Blow-Up retrospective. Comparable in temporary-exhibition focus and as a European partner institution for international co-curation.
• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art: Denmark's leading modern art museum and co-developer of the Franz Gertsch Blow-Up exhibition. Larger in scale and global reach, but operates a comparable model of permanent collection, international blockbusters, and educational programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/KunstmuseumBern
• Facebookfacebook.com/kunstmuseumbern
• Instagraminstagram.com/kunstmuseumbern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kunstmuseum-bern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kunstmuseum Bern