What Kirchner Museum Davos does

Kirchner Museum Davos is a private non-profit art museum located in Davos Platz, Switzerland, dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and researching the complete artistic legacy of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938), one of the founding figures of German Expressionism. Opened on September 4, 1992, in a building designed by Zurich architects Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer (winner of the 2012 Tageslicht-Award from the Velux Foundation), the museum is owned and operated by the Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Foundation Davos, established at the initiative of Roman Norbert Ketterer. Its holdings comprise what is described as the world's unique collection spanning all of Kirchner's creative periods from 1904 to 1938 — including approximately 40 paintings, 7 sculptures, over 700 drawings and watercolors, more than 300 prints, 160 sketchbooks with over 9,000 drawings, more than 1,500 photographic negatives and vintage prints, and about 20 textile works — alongside an extensive documentary archive and a specialist library of over 10,000 publications on Kirchner and Expressionism cataloged within the Graubünden library network.

The museum functions simultaneously as an exhibition venue, research center, and educational institution. Its core products and services include rotating exhibitions (currently the multi-year "Farbenrausch" show running until January 2027), guided tours in German and English, art education programs (children's workshops, school programs, teacher introductions), a specialist library and archive, systematic provenance research, and accessibility services certified under the "Kultur inklusiv" label. Academic collaboration with the University of Konstanz supports its research mission and trains young scholars in original-art handling. The institution is supported by the Kirchner Association Davos (founded 1982), a community of approximately 600 members across three tiers (Members at CHF 70, Friends at CHF 600, and Patrons at CHF 1,200 annually) that provides both recurring revenue and audience engagement.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit funding structure combining earned and contributed revenue. Earned streams include admission ticket sales (with pricing observed at CHF 9-55 across tours, workshops, concerts, yoga, and film screenings), online ticket booking, venue rental for corporate and private events, museum shop sales of publications and merchandise, and membership subscription fees. Contributed revenue flows through the Kirchner Association membership program and major donor gifts (notably from Rosemarie and Roman Norbert Ketterer and the Benvenuta Family Foundation, the latter of which donated the museum building itself). Marketing and distribution are conducted through the museum's multilingual website (kirchnermuseum.ch), Mailchimp email newsletters, Facebook, multilingual press kits in German/English/French, on-site programming, and word-of-mouth through the membership community. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Kirchner Museum Davos

Legal name

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Stiftung

Website

https://www.kirchnermuseum.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Art museum exhibitions
• Expressionist art collection
• Art education programs
• Cultural heritage museum
• Venue and event rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Davos Platz

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from admission tickets to the museum and exhibitions, with online ticket purchasing available through the museum's ticketing system.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership program with three tiers: Members (CHF 70 individuals, CHF 110 couples, CHF 30 students), Friends (CHF 600 individuals, CHF 900 couples), and Patrons (CHF 1,200 individuals, CHF 1,800 couples). Benefits include free admission, event invitations, and discounts on publications.
3. Museum Rentals: Venue rental for private and corporate events including aperitif parties, evening receptions, seminars, and panel discussions, with special conditions for local cultural events.
4. Museum Shop Sales: Sales of museum shop merchandise and art publications through the museum's physical shop and online presence.
5. Publications and Press Kits: Sale of exhibition catalogs, art books, and press kit materials documenting exhibitions and the museum's collections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kirchner Museum Davos is a publicly accessible art museum dedicated to the work of German Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, presenting its permanent collection and rotating temporary exhibitions of his paintings, graphic works, and related materials. It complements its exhibitions with guided tours, art education programs, a specialist art library, provenance research, a museum shop, and venue/event rental services, supported by a membership-based association (Kirchner Verein).

Product overview

Kirchner Museum Davos is a non-profit private art museum dedicated to collecting, preserving, researching, and presenting the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and related artists of Classical Modernism. The museum operates as a single unified institution offering a portfolio of interconnected services: exhibition programs featuring rotating shows of Kirchner's works and related artists, guided tours in multiple languages, art education programs for children and adults, a specialist library with over 10,000 Expressionism-related publications, academic research facilities, museum rental for events, and a membership organization (Kirchner Association). The museum also provides provenance research services and media accreditation. The collection encompasses all creative periods of Kirchner (1904-1938), including approximately 40 paintings, 7 sculptures, over 700 drawings and watercolors, 300+ prints, 160 sketchbooks, 1500+ photographs, and 20 textile works.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Kirchner Collection and Exhibition Program An ongoing program of permanent collection displays and temporary exhibitions at the museum in Davos, presenting works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and related Expressionist artists. Targeted at art visitors, scholars, and cultural tourists visiting Switzerland.
• Farbenrausch Exhibition A temporary exhibition at Kirchner Museum Davos exploring Kirchner's use of color, opened on 4 January 2025. Intended for museum visitors, tourists, and members.
• Art Education and Public Programs Pedagogical offerings including guided tours, school programs, family activities, and adult learning at the museum, organized by the art education department. For teachers, school groups, families, and the general public.
• Guided Tours Docent-led tours of the museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions, with multilingual interpretation available. Targeted at individual visitors and groups.
• Specialist Art Library A specialized reference library focused on Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and German Expressionism, available to researchers, academics, and members of the museum.
• Provenance Research Service Provenance investigations of Kirchner-related works, performed in-house by the museum's research staff. Aimed at scholars, collectors, and external organizations requiring expert opinion on artwork histories.
• Museum Shop Retail store at the museum selling catalogues, exhibition publications, art books, postcards, and merchandise related to Kirchner and the museum's programs. Open to visitors and online customers.
• Venue and Event Rental Rental of the museum's spaces for corporate events, receptions, and private functions in a culturally distinctive Alpine setting. Targeted at corporate clients and event organizers in Davos.
• Kirchner Association Membership Annual membership in the Kirchner Association (Kirchner Verein), providing patrons with exhibition previews, publications, and special events, while supporting the museum's mission.
• Accessibility Services Visitor accessibility offerings including access guides and adapted services for visitors with disabilities, available alongside regular admission at the museum.
• Museum Media Accreditation and Press Materials Press accreditation services and downloadable media materials for journalists covering the museum's exhibitions and programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• The museum has attracted researchers from all over the world and maintains steady contact with international scholars
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Foundation DavoscoreOthers · 1 July 1992Established on July 1, the foundation owns the collection and museum building. The foundation received generous gifts from Rosemarie and Roman Norbert Ketterer, the Benvenuta Family Foundation, and other donors. Its mission is to preserve and promote Kirchner's work for the public on a strictly non-profit basis, operating the museum and research center.
• Kirchner Association DavoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 1982Founded on January 9, 1982, the Kirchner Association Davos includes approximately 600 members from Switzerland and abroad. Based on good faith cooperation with the Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Foundation Davos, the Association promotes continuous development of the institution, concentrating funding on collection acquisition, conservation, museum education, and exhibition publications. The Director of the museum is an ex officio board member.
• University of KonstanzmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with one of Germany's 'universities of excellence' enables young researchers to gain insights into museum work, learn handling of original works of art, and take first academic steps in practical research. The university partnership brings fresh perspectives and ensures topicality and relevance of research.
• VGS Datenschutzpartner GmbHminorOthersData protection representation in the European Economic Area (EEA) in accordance with Art. 27 GDPR, serving as additional point of contact for enquiries related to data protection regulations for EU/EEA data subjects and authorities.
• Kultur inklusivminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe museum is a partner of the 'Kultur inklusiv' (Inclusive Culture) label, demonstrating commitment to barrier-free access for all people. The partnership involves providing texts in easy language and large print for each exhibition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brücke Museum: Berlin museum dedicated to the German Expressionist group Die Brücke, co-founded by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The most direct peer given the shared artistic movement and Kirchner's central role in the Brücke, with comparable curatorial focus on Classical Modernist research.
• Zentrum Paul Klee: Bern museum dedicated to a single modernist artist (Paul Klee), designed by a star architect (Renzo Piano). Closely mirrors the Kirchner Museum's Swiss, single-artist foundation model with similar institutional scale, architecturally significant building, and research-led programming.
• Museo Picasso Málaga: Single-artist museum dedicated to Pablo Picasso in his birthplace Málaga. Mirrors the Kirchner Museum's foundation-owned model combining permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, research, art education, and venue rentals tied to a city-of-significance location.
• Musée Matisse Nice: City-operated museum dedicated to Henri Matisse in the city where he lived and worked. Closely parallels the Kirchner Museum's structure as a single-artist civic museum anchored to a place of personal and artistic importance, with overlapping exhibition and education missions.
• Lenbachhaus: Munich municipal museum with major holdings of German Expressionism and Der Blaue Reiter, the movement adjacent to Kirchner's Brücke. A strong peer in Classical Modernist curation, exhibition programming, and urban cultural-tourism positioning.
• Museum Berggruen: Berlin State Museums gallery of Classical Modernism with major holdings of Picasso, Klee, and Matisse. Comparable modernist curatorial scope, single-period focus, and similar institutional scale for evaluating exhibition turnover and visitor programming.

Broad incumbents

• Van Gogh Museum: Amsterdam foundation museum dedicated to a single artist (Vincent van Gogh). Comparable single-artist museum model and global tourism draw, though operating at far larger scale and brand recognition, anchoring a benchmark for what a mature single-artist museum can become.
• Fondation Beyeler: Riehen/Basel-based foundation museum designed by Renzo Piano and focused on modern and contemporary art. Comparable Swiss foundation museum context and signature architect-designed building, though covering a broader art-historical scope than Kirchner's single-artist focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kirchner Museum Davos