Bundesmuseen#

Museums, Federal, museums administered by the state. The Federal Ministry for Education and Cultural Affairs is in charge of the following museums: the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Ethnological Museum, the Oesterreichische Galerie Belvedere, the collection of Graphic Arts Albertina, the Austrian Museum of Applied Art, the Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation with the Museum of the 20th Century, the Technisches Museum fuer Industrie und Gewerbe, the Pathologisch-anatomisches Bundesmuseum (Federal Museum of Pathology and Anatomy), the Austrian Theatre Museum, the Oesterreichische Phonotek (Austrian Phonoteque). The Museum of Military History is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Defence. The Austrian Folklore Museum, the ethnographic museum at Kittsee Castle, the Museum on Austrian Social Life and Economics ( Oesterreichisches Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftsmuseum) are administered by various associations, some of which receive federal financial support. The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), with its collections in Vienna and Ambras Castle became autonomous on Jan. 1, 1999 and was transformed into an independent research institution under public law in 2000. The Albertina Collection of Graphic Arts, the Oesterreichische Galerie Belvedere, the Museum of Applied Art and the Technical Museum of Vienna also became independent legal entities in 2000. On the basis of the Federal Museums Act of 1998, all the other Federal Museums are to become autonomous by 2003. The collections of the Bundesmobiliensammlung (subordinate to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labour), the Imperial Hofsilber- und Tafelkammer (Chamber of Court Silver and Tableware) and the Imperial Hofmobiliendepot, (Court Depot of Movables) which are open to the public, have been managed by the firm Schloss Schoenbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges. m. b. H. since 1996 and 1998 respectively. Large parts of the federal museums developed from the former imperial collections which have been administered by the Republic of Austria since 1918. Some museums were established as state museums during the monarchy, others were founded during the 2nd Republic. Other important legal entities in charge of museums are the provinces ( Provincial Museums), the municipalities and numerous private organisations