The Universalmuseum Joanneum is considered the biggest of its kind in Central Europe. About 5 million items in 20 collections form the basis of a richly faceted ‘universal’ exhibition and events schedule. A programme of exhibitions and events at 14 locations of architectural value throughout Styria transmit a unique panorama of science, art and culture.
Panorama of science, art and culture
The Universalmuseum Joanneum, which attracts annually more than 500,000 visitors, employs around 500 staff in carrying out its various functions.
Apart from scientific periodicals, exhibition catalogues and annual reports, the Museum publishes a series of books about its collections. Information folders, newsletters, social media and a monthly programme brochure round off the informative publications available.
The winner of the Council of Europe’s Museums Prize, the Universalmuseum Joanneum is the most important scientific and cultural institution in Styria. During the 19th century, various distinguished institutions such as the University of Leoben, the Archduke Johann University of Technology in Graz, the Styrian State Archives and Styrian State Library sprang from the Joanneum.
Since the collections were owned from the first by the government of Styria, the Joanneum was for a long time in the hands of the state administration.
In 2003, after thorough consideration, it was transformed in a not-for-profit limited company called Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH, to maintain competitiveness within the international museum industry.
In 2009, the Joanneum was given a new corporate design. In order to anchor the diversity of the collections in the name as well, the name of the former department of the Styrian Provincial Administration was also renewed: the Landesmuseum became the Universalmuseum Joanneum.
As of 2023, Marko Mele, PhD, and Josef Schrammel, MA, are directing Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH.
To promote the global network of the company and especially to ensure a high-quality exhibition programme at the Kunsthaus Graz, partnerships with national and international museums and cultural institutions are proactively sought. The exhibition policy is to present all aspects of the permanent collections in a contemporary manner attractive to the public. A principal focus of attention is therefore to ensure that the various locations of the Museum work together as effectively as possible, and in doing so underline the unique character of the Universal Museum in all its diversity.
With the establishment of the Joanneum as a not-for-profit limited company, the Universal Museum has gained a greater degree of responsibility and autonomy in matters of staffing and budget. Nonetheless, the federal state of Styria is still the owner of the property and other assets in the Museum, just as intended by its founder Archduke Johann.
Board
Daniel Kosta
Assistance Chief Science Officer
Phone: +43-316/8017-9700
Mobile: +43-664/8017 9700
daniel.kosta@museum-joanneum.at
Bozica Hrzenjak MA
Assistance Chief Financial Officer
Phone: +43-664/8017 9786
bozica.hrzenjak@museum-joanneum.at
Field of responsibility of the Supervisory Board
- The Universalmuseum Joanneum’s Supervisory Board consists of seven natural persons (to be appointed by the General Assembly of the Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH) and four employee representatives.
- The Supervisory Board is obliged to perform the functions assigned to it by law and by the company agreement. It must supervise the actions of the management with the diligence of a prudent businessman. To that end, it has to gather information about the state of business affairs of the company at regular intervals.
- The Supervisory Board has to examine the annual estimate (including investment, financial and human resources plans), the annual financial statement, the progress report, the guidelines for a general management policy and to report to the General Assembly on the outcome of these examinations.

Chairman
Univ.-Prof. DDr. Michael Lehofer
- Michael Eisner
- Petra Gregorits
- Isabelle Holzmann
- Gerlinde Hutter
- Mag.a Caroline List
- Mag.a Gerlinde Neugebauer
- Dr. Robert Schaar
- Dr. Martin Wiedenbauer
- Mag. Klaus Zausinger
Employee Representative:
- Mag. Bernhard Samitsch
- André Getreuer-Kostrouch
- Mag.a Dr.in Karin Leitner-Ruhe
- Nina Pöllabauer
- Stefan Reichmann
Tasks of the Board of Trustees
- The Board of Trustees (Kuratorium) is a committee appointed by the Provincial Government of Styria, and its members are active in an honorary capacity.
- The Board of Trustees takes note of the interests of the Universal Joanneum and promotes them both conceptually and materially.
- The curators are committed to the founding concepts and goals of the Universal Joanneum. They ensure that the Universal Joanneum acts in accordance with its founding mission as an institution dedicated to collection, research and education.
- The Board of Trustees represents the interests of the Universal Joanneum in public and draws the attention of the museum’s management to the public’s needs.
- The Board of Trustees sees itself as a link between the museum and broader society.
- The Board of Trustees advises and supports the Provincial Government of Styria and the management. It is in direct contact with management. It sees itself as a Supervisory Board (Aufsichtsrat) in terms of ideas, its function being supportive rather than controlling in a business sense.
- The Support Associations (Fördervereine) of the Universalmuseum Joanneum are represented on the Board of Trustees in the interests of furthering initiatives.

Deputy:
LH a.D. Hermann Schützenhöfer
First deputy to the President:
Rektorin a.D. HRin Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Elgrid Messner
Second deputy to the President:
Angelika Johanna Meran
Dr. Michael Axmann
Ing. Johann Baumgartner, MAS
HR Dr. Harald Fötschl
Christine Frisinghelli
Mag. Dr. Leopold Gartler
Ass.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Günter Getzinger
Mag. Cajetan Gril
Dr. Alfred Grinschgl
Michael A. Grossmann
Dr. Manfred Herzl, MSc
Vizerektorin Arch.in DIin Marie-Theres Holler
Prof. Herwig Hösele
Frido Hütter
Rektor Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Harald Kainz
DDr.in Renate Kicker
Mag. Rainer Kienreich
MMag. Alois Kölbl
Prof. Dr. Johannes Koren
Prof. Mag. Dr. Karl Albrecht Kubinzky
Kathryn List
Bgm. a.D. ÖR Mag. Siegfried Nagl
Mag. Bernhard Rinner
Jutta Rohrbacher
Mag. Ralph Schilcher
Mag. Patrick Schnabl
Univ.-Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Barbara Stelzl-Marx
Mag. Marc Oliver Stenitzer
Bgm. Kurt Wallner
Mag.a Friederike Weitzer
Mag. Klaus Zausinger
Secretary:
Mag. Karl Peitler
The nine museum departments - the pillars of the Universalmuseum Joanneum - work closely together with four service functions, which see themselves as service providers for all collections and museums.

Natural History (Head: Mag. Wolfgang Paill)
- Botany & Mycology
- Geology
- Mineralogy
- Zoology
Archaeology & Coin Cabinet (Head: Mag. Karl Peitler)
- Prehistoric Collection
- Roman Provincial Collection & Collection of Antiquities
- Coin Collection
Schloss Eggenberg & Alte Galerie (Head: Dr. Paul Schuster)
Neue Galerie Graz (Head: Dr. Peter Peer)
Art in the Exterior (Head: Dr. Elisabeth Fiedler)
Cultural history (Head: Dr. Bettina Habsburg-Lothringen)
- History Museum / Cultural History Collection
- Landeszeughaus / Styrian Armoury
- Multimedia Collections
- Museumsakademie
Folk Life (Head: Dr. Claudia Unger)
Schloss Stainz (Head: Mag. Karlheinz Wirnsberger)
Schloss Trautenfels (Head: Mag. Katharina Krenn)
- Landscape Museum

Business Service (Head: MMag. Markus Enzinger)
- Accounting and controlling
- Personnel administration
- Human resource development
- Legal advice
- Facility Management
- IT & Communication
- Logistics
External Relations (Head: Dr. Andreas Schnitzler)
- Sponsoring & Sales
- Marketing
- Event Management
- Graphic Design
Department for Visitors (Head: Mag. Angelika Vauti)
- Visitor-Programme
- Visitor-Management
- Visitor-Relations and Development
Museum Service (Head: Mag. Silvia Millonig)
- Registry
- Conservation
- Workshop
Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH
Verwaltungsadresse: Mariahilferstraße 2-4
8020 Graz, Österreich
T +43-316/8017-0
welcome@museum-joanneum.at
Opening Hours
Opening hours and contact information according to the museum's specific website.