Museums in Switzerland traditionally attract a disproportionate number of older rather than young visitors. Understand how an eCulture approach at The Basel Historical Museums has changed this phenomenon by creating internal and external dialogue with visitors that has added value not only to the visitor experience but transformed the institution itself, through stimulating debate and discussion.

1. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
eCulture: Making the
Museum a Social Hub
Basel Historical Museum @histmuseumbs
Marie-Paule Jungblut @jungblutmarie
Daniele Turini @danieleturini
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2. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
THE CLASSICAL TYPE OF MUSEUM
“[M. Madinier] led the wedding
party astray through seven or eight
cold, deserted rooms, only
ornamented with severe-looking
glass cases, containing numberless
broken pots and hideous little
figures. The party shuddered, and
was beginning to feel awfully
bored…
Then, in the courtyard of the Louvre,
when it had recovered its umbrellas
from the cloak-room, it breathed
again.”
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“A wedding visit to the Louvre”, in: Emile Zola, L’Assommoir, Chapter III, 1877

3. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL ECULTURE: MAKING THE MUSEUM A SOCIAL HUB SEITE 3
THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM FACTS & FIGURES
STATE (CANTONAL) MUSEUM
BUDGET: 10 MILLION CHF
5% PRIVATELY OWNED
92% STATE OWNED (INCLUDING
REVENUE)
100 EMPLOYEES
(50 FULL-TIME POSITIONS)
64% OF GLOBAL BUDGET
MUSEUM LAW/ PERFORMANCE MANDATE

4. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM FACTS & FIGURES
11 properties, including 4 exhibition
sites:
∙ Museum of History
(since 1894)
∙ Museum of Domestic Culture
(since 1951)
∙ Museum of Music
(since 2000)
∙ Museum of Horsepower
(since 1981)
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5. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
MUSEUM OF HISTORY
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Museum of History, Barfüsserchurch Museum of History, Barfüsserchurch

6. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
MUSEUM OF DOMESTIC CULTURE
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Museum of Domestic Culture, Haus zum Kirschgarten
Museum of Domestic Culture, Haus zum Kirschgarten

7. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
MUSEUM OF MUSIC
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Museum of Music, im Lohnhof
Museum of Music, im Lohnhof

8. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
THE CHANGE OF PARADIGM
“[The ‘old style’ museum] existed, it
had a building, it had collections
and a staff to look after them, it was
reasonably financed, and its visitors,
usually not numerous, came to look,
to wonder and to admire what was
set before them. They were in no
sense partners in the enterprise.”
“The now almost universal
conviction [is] that [museums] exist
in order to serve the public…”
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Kenneth Hudson, The Museum Refuses To Stand Still, in: Museum International, vol. 50, no. 1, 1998, p.1.

9. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL ECULTURE: MAKING THE MUSEUM A SOCIAL HUB SEITE 9
“MONOLOGUE” OF AN “OLD-STYLE” MUSEUM
Collection &
Research
Imparting
information
Marketing &
Communication
AUDIENCE

10. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
THE CHANGE OF PARADIGM AT THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Our aim is to go beyond the
exhibition medium and make use of
additional modern forms of
communication.
Our exhibitions aim to stimulate
public debate on both the past and
the present.
Experiencing history should be an
enriching and positive encounter
for all visitors, regardless of age or
background.
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Excerpts of the HMB – Mission Statement

11. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
AUDIENCE 2026
1. Retirement of baby boomers
2. Growth of international cultural
tourism
3. Cuts in subsidies
4. Development of the Randstad
metropolitan area
5. Digitised society
6. Greater European influence
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Nederlands Museumvereniging (Dutch Museums Association), Agenda 2026. Study on the Future of the Dutch Museum sector, 2010

12. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL ECULTURE: MAKING THE MUSEUM A SOCIAL HUB SEITE 12
AUDIENCES AT THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Collection &
Research
AUDIENCE Services
(on- & offline)
AUDIENCE

13. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
AUDIENCES AT THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
The HMB strategy targets its
audience on the basis of the
following criteria:
∙ museum affinity
∙ thematic affinity
∙ communication format affinity
∙ digital audience
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14. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL ECULTURE: MAKING THE MUSEUM A SOCIAL HUB SEITE 14
AUDIENCES AT THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
5y 10y 15y 20y 30y 50y 65y 100y
Guided tours for
families
School workshops
Children's birthday
parties
Tweetups
After work
Guided tours
Presentations
Wednesday matinee
Instagram
Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest
Twitter
Website including blog
Games
Picnics
MUSEUM
AFFINITY
FORMAT
AFFINITY
DIGITAL
AFFINITY

15. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
HMB DIGITAL STRATEGY 2015-2017
The Basel Museum of History uses
digital media as part of its integrated
AUDIENCE strategy in pursuance of
its core business: examining and
analysing history and the present-day
as well as asking future-oriented
questions. The employees
communicate across departments
and cultivate a dialogue group-
appropriate contact with the
worldwide community. This form of
digital commitment creates new
incentives in all museum spheres and
is establishing itself on a lasting
basis.
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Vision of the HMB Digital Strategy 2015-2017, Daniele Turini, available on: http://de.slideshare.net/HistMuseumBs

16. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Excerpt of the HMB Digital Strategy 2015-2017, Daniele Turini, available on: http://de.slideshare.net/HistMuseumBs
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ECULTURE AT THE BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
EDUCATION
Objective: Development and
implementation of cross-media and
digital communication formats.
Formats: tweetups, serious games,
pop-ups, Augmented reality, …
EXHIBITIONS
Objective: creation of various
exhibition experience levels.
Experience levels: games, quizzes,
films, competitions, 3rd layer,
Augmented reality, in-depth sections, … COLLECTIONS
Objective: creation of various ways to
access collections
Access levels: website, open data,
blog, social media, Google Cultural
Institute, …
MARKETING &
COMMUNICATIONS
Objective: communication of our
products targeting specific groups and
success measurement (web analysis)
Channels: website, blog, social media,
newsletter, E-shop, …
ADMINISTRATION
Objective: ensuring the technical
framework (IT, collection archive and
support), optimization of administrative
processes.
Processes: E-Recruitment, E-
Procurement, …

17. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Collection & permanent
exhibition
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18. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
COLLECTION & PERMANENT EXHIBITION
∙ 16th-century bourgeois collection
of the Amerbach family.
∙ In 1661 the Basel Council acquired
the collection of Bonifacius
Amerbach (1495–1562) for the
University. The Amerbach Cabinet
includes the estate of Erasmus von
Rotterdam as well as his collection
of coins and art by Holbein, which
make up the foundation of the
Amerbach Cabinet.
∙ Todays collections include 208’000
objects
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19. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
COLLECTION ITEMS
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The collection of coins of the Amerbach Cabinet
Basilius Amerbach (1533 – 1591) art collector from Basel

20. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
COLLECTION ITEMS
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Matrix of the seal of the bakers' guild, Basle, ca. 1300, Brass
Small encoignure, one of a pair Paris, ca. 1750, oak

21. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Permanent exhibition: The great cabinet of curiosities
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PERMANENT EXHIBITION

22. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Permanent exhibition: Medieval Tapestries
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PERMANENT EXHIBITION

23. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
PERMANENT EXHIBITION: DIGITAL ENHANCEMENT
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Permanent exhibition
Tablets to digitally enhance the collection

24. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Excerpt of the HMB Digital Strategy 2015-2017, Daniele Turini, available on: http://de.slideshare.net/HistMuseumBs
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COLLECTION ONLINE
Today: audience that values museums / culture /
education
Tomorrow: audience that values museums /culture /
education & general public
Scientific collection database
“scientific” approach “narrative” approach “playful” approach
blogwebsite & open data social media

25. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
The diary of Elisabeth Schmid-Fehr, a blog featuring stories to WW1, http://www.baselersterweltkrieg.com/
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COLLECTIONS ONLINE: NARRATIVE APPROACH

26. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Suitcase of memories, corporate blog shares senior citizens’ knowledge on partly forgotten objects with the public (coming soon)
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COLLECTIONS ONLINE: NARRATIVE APPROACH

27. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
COLLECTIONS ONLINE: PLAYFUL APPROACH
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Johann Ludwig Burckhardt aka. Sheik Ibrahim #MuseumofSelfies Palm Donkey, Christi marching in (Statue of the 16th century) #MuseumofSelfies
Complete collection of #MuseumofSelfies: https://storify.com/HistMuseumBs/museumofselfies

28. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Serious Game «Surviving Basel 1610», fall 2015, trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABCba9PTp0A
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COLLECTIONS ONLINE: PLAYFUL APPROACH

29. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Communication activities &
special exhibitions
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30. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
#Tweevening «Tell me how you live», Museum of Domestic Culture, Storify: https://storify.com/HistMuseumBs
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TWEETUPS

31. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
TWEETUPS
Format for the public that does
not necessarily share an affinity
with museums:
∙ Evening opening hours
(after work)
∙ Engage in co-operations
∙ Implementation of our mandate via
tweetup (short guided tour)
∙ Connecting visitors (locally
present) and users (in front of home
screens or smart phones)
∙ Fostering dialogue
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32. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
CROSSMEDIA CAMPAIGN #LIEBLINGSRAUM (FAVOURITE ROOM)
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Tristan, 9 years old, Job: inventor, lives with his family #lieblingsraum Axel, 49 years old, Job: art historian, lives with his family #lieblingsraum
Storify: https://storify.com/HistMuseumBs/sag-mir-wie-du-wohnst-lieblingsraum

33. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
Press picture at the exhibition opening (Amsterdam Museum)
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FOOTBALL – FAITH. LOVE. HOPE.

34. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
INTEGRATED ECULTURE STRATEGY BASED ON INFOTAINMENT
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Register for the infotainment tour «Panini Yourself» perpetuate yourself as a football hero
Experiencing typical football elements (rivalry, teamplay etc.) by the integration of digital media (games, quiz, etc.) inside the exhibition

35. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
New perspectives for museums
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36. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR MUSEUMS
∙ New job profiles in museums
∙ Museums will become training
facilities for public history and
eCulture
∙ In-house training for employees
∙ Co-operations
∙ Changes in hierarchy and areas of
responsibility
∙ Change fosters identification
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37. HISTORISCHES MUSEUM BASEL
LET’S STAY IN TOUCH
Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube,
Pinterest: Historisches Museum Basel
Twitter, Instagram:
@HistMuseumBs
Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/
museumeculture/
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