Association of Museums in the Canton of Bern

The Association of Museums in the Canton of Bern (German: Verein der Museen im Kanton Bern, abbreviated mmBE) is a Swiss membership association that has served since 2001 as the umbrella network for the museum landscape of the Canton of Bern. Its stated purpose is to act as a living network for the diversity of Bernese museums, connecting institutions of very different sizes, disciplines and governance models — from large cantonal and city museums to small local and thematic collections — under a single coordinating body. mmBE's core activity is information and visibility. Through its website it provides museum professionals, museum visitors and the general public with current information on more than 135 museums in the canton, together with notices of current or forthcoming special exhibitions. Beyond listings, the association publishes museum stories and a collection catalogue, opening access to a growing number of objects and giving insight into the museum world behind the scenes. The association also functions as a professional development and knowledge-sharing platform for its members. It produces dossiers and practical handreichungen (guidance documents) for museum staff, covering topics such as storytelling, online communication and social media. A notable example is its 2022 transformation project on museum stories, storytelling and social media, which included a text workshop and resulted in a bilingual (German and French) guidance document and a companion leaflet under the hashtags #mmbech and #museumsgeschichten. The association also runs a social-media channel, "museumsgeschichten", as an additional public window for its museums and collections, and organises continuing-education days for museum professionals. As a bilingual canton, Bern requires bilingual service, and mmBE operates in both German and French, publishing its website, leaflets and guidance in both languages. The association is a non-profit membership organisation rather than a commercial company; it is not listed on any stock exchange and does not sell products in the conventional sense. Its "offerings" are services to members and to the public: museum information, exhibition listings, storytelling and collection-catalogue content, professional guidance documents, training events and networking. In the wider Swiss museum ecosystem, mmBE is one of the cantonal museum associations that link individual museums to national bodies and to each other, helping smaller institutions benefit from shared communication expertise and joint public-facing initiatives. Its long-running presence since 2001 and its coverage of over 135 museums make it a central point of reference for anyone navigating the Bernese museum landscape.

The Association of Museums in the Canton of Bern (mmBE) was established in 2001 as a membership association for the museums of the Swiss Canton of Bern. From its foundation it has positioned itself as a network rather than a governing authority, bringing together the canton's highly varied museum landscape — large and small, cantonal and municipal, professional and volunteer-run — under a shared platform. Its early and continuing role has been informational: maintaining an overview of the canton's museums and making that overview accessible to the public. Over the years the association's website developed into a central reference point listing more than 135 museums and flagging current or imminent special exhibitions, so that visitors and professionals could navigate the Bernese museum scene from a single source. A second strand of activity is professional support for museum staff. mmBE produces dossiers and practical guidance documents (Handreichungen) and organises continuing-education days. These activities grew in importance as museums faced new communication challenges in the digital era. A significant recent chapter was the association's 2022 transformation project focused on museum stories, storytelling and social media. The project culminated in late October with a well-attended text workshop led by Daniel Lüthy and Manuel Kaiser. Out of this work came a bilingual (German and French) leaflet and a fuller guidance document, "Storytelling online und über Social Media", intended to encourage museums to keep telling their stories. The association also opened the social-media channel "museumsgeschichten" as an additional public window for its museums and collections, using the hashtags #mmbech and #museumsgeschichten. Alongside these communication initiatives, mmBE has continued to develop content that opens museum collections to the public, including museum stories and a collection catalogue that provide access to a growing number of objects and insight into the museum world. Operating in a bilingual canton, the association publishes in both German and French. As of the available evidence, mmBE remains an active non-profit association serving the Bernese museum community, with no indication of commercial listing or for-profit status.

• 2022

  Transformation project on museum stories, storytelling and social media, concluding with a text workshop led by Daniel Lüthy and Manuel Kaiser.

• 2022

  Publication of bilingual leaflet and guidance document "Storytelling online und über Social Media" and launch of the "museumsgeschichten" social-media channel.

• 2001

  Association of Museums in the Canton of Bern (mmBE) founded as a network for Bernese museums.

A non-profit cantonal umbrella association and network for Bernese museums, providing information, visibility and professional guidance to members and the public.

• mmbe.ch museum information website

  Portal listing over 135 museums in the Canton of Bern with current and forthcoming special exhibitions.

• Museum stories and collection catalogue

  Content opening access to a growing number of objects and giving insight into the museum world.

• Storytelling guidance document and #museumsgeschichten leaflet

  Bilingual (German/French) practical guidance for museums on storytelling online and via social media.

1. 1Willkommen bei mmBEmmbe.ch
2. 2Handreichung «Storytelling» online und auf Social Media & Merkblatt #museumsgeschichtenmmbe.ch
3. 3Museumsgeschichtenmmbe.ch
4. 4Bien plus que de la poussière et des tessonsmmbe.ch
5. 5Association of Museums in the canton of Bern (Wikidata)wikidata.org