Museums & Deaccessioning in Europe
This website gives an overview of the (legal) possibilities of deaccessioning and disposal of museum object within the European Union. It is one of the outcomes of the research Deaccessioning and Disposal in Europe 2008-2017, executed by Dieuwertje Wijsmuller in 2016-2017.
Please let all information serve as inspiration for your country or institute if you want to develop or change your (existing) policies, or as basis for further research.
How to use this website
You can check per country or per parameter what the different possibilities are. The news feed will try to be as actual as possible. Don’t forget to scroll down!
This website is one of the outcomes of the research museologist did in 2016-2017 on the possibilities and opinions on deaccessioning in Europe. Read more about the research.
Please be aware that although all efforts have been made to let the information be as accurate as possible, errors may have occurred. If you see false information, please contact me at dieuwertje@ccc.co.nl, so it may be adjusted.
Countries
Deaccessioning parameters
NEWS
Denmark: Museums are filled with old rattle
Danish Agency of culture and palaces shocks museums with message at a meeting in Sweden: Museums' collections' are filled with old rattle, Three out of four objects at Danish museums can be discarded' [...]
Syracuse Papyrus Museum sells its fragments: “We have no money, we risk closure”
(photo credits: Giovanni Dall'Orto 2014) A museum that literally sells its works to finance itself. In this case, its fragments, for it is the Museo del Papiro di Siracusa private institution, created [...]
Hertfordshire County Council wants to sell off its public art collection
Petition to stop Hertfordshire County Council selling off its public art collection gathers over a thousand signatures The council wants to 'dispose of' 91 per cent of its art collection. A petition t [...]
Project website on the deaccessioning process of Museum Nusantara (Delft, NL)
Museum Nusantara has closed its doors due to budget cuts. In order to keep the deaccessioning and disposal process as transparant as possible, all steps of the process are published on this website [...]
Hertfordshire Council consults on disposing part of its art collection
The Council of Hertfordshire is planning to deaccession about 90% of its collection. Before this is executed, they are asking the public for advise. Read more on the Hertfordshire website. [...]
Perspectives on disposal: Museum of London Review and Rationalisation Project
"The Museum of London’s aim when starting a large scale rationalisation project was to create a collection for the future. We sought to embark upon a disposal project which fulfilled all the ethical s [...]