Minister of Culture Klepsch: Internship in the Chemnitz industrial museum!

Minister of Culture Klepsch: Internship in the Chemnitz industrial museum!

Chemnitz, Deutschland - On June 11, 2025, Barbara Klepsch, Saxon Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, will gain her first practical experience as part of a new program of the German Museum Association. This step is intended to convey a better understanding of working in museums. Klepsch, the President of the Cultural Ministers' Conference (Kultur-MK), will work in the Chemnitz industrial museum next Wednesday. Their tasks include cleaning objects, preparing exhibitions and carrying out demonstrations for pupils in which they teach them to operate machines. This practical experience is also documented by a video team and is later to be published as a short documentation. According to FAZ , the goal of this program is to create a deeper understanding of political decision-makers for the challenges and tasks of museums.

The German Museum Association, which represents more than 7,000 institutions in the museum sector, initiated these internships to promote the exchange between the political world and the cultural institutions. Sylvia Willkomm, the managing director of the German Museum Association, emphasizes how important this exchange is for informed decisions in cultural policy. As early as 2025, Klepsch will take over the presidency of the Conference of Culture Ministers, which underlines the importance of its experiences during the internship. The initiative is not new; The Network of European Museum Organizations (NEMO) has already successfully implemented similar programs, such as an internship in the Suermondt Ludwig Museum in Aachen, in which Sabine Verheyen participated, the chairman of the Committee for Culture and Education in the European Parliament.

insights into the museum work

During her internship, Klepsch will work in various areas of the museum, including the cash register and shop, education and mediation, depot and restoration as well as the construction of events. These practical incorporations should not only promote understanding of museum work, but also indicate the central function of museums as a site for education, exchange and culture of debate in a democratic society. In view of the growing social polarization, which perceive over 70% of museums in Europe, the political support for museums is of crucial importance. Museumsbund In a current survey shows that 47% of the interviewed political support for museums assessed as insufficient

Klepsch's internship falls at a time when the German Museum Association is actively committed to stronger political support in order to ensure the future viability of the museums. This is done in the context of the coalition agreement of the current legislative period, which requires reliable support and the guarantee of the independence of the museums. In addition, the national resilience strategy takes into account the role of museums as a critical infrastructure.