Museum Woe: Landesmuseum of Slavic Times - Security Spends Swamp Income
Slavic Museum Regional Surveillance Expenses Exceed Revenue - Museum's Security Costs Outpace Income During Slavic Era
Let's dip our toes into the financial woes of museums beyond Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's bustling cities. The latest exhibit, if you could call it that, is the State-owned Archaeological Open-Air Museum in Groß Raden, near Sternberg (Ludwigslust-Parchim district). The State Audit Office has taken a gander and isn't pleased, labeling the museum economically unfriendly.
Gross Raden showcases the Slavic era, offering an outdoor fortress, Slavic housing and craft facilities, and a temple as sights to see. There's also an exhibition building. But according to the Audit Office, not enough folks are stepping foot inside during winter times.
€58k in Revenue - €100k for Security Muscles
The auditors dived into the water from March 2022 to February 2023. During this dive, the costs for the private security firm, alone, totaling around €100k, were a steep wave far higher than the museum's €58k revenue. In winter, the imbalance created a tidal wave: from November 2022 to March 2023, only 1,882 visitors splashed in - a whopping €33k for the security firm compared to a mere €5.3k revenue. In 2022's entire swim, the museum managed to draw in more than 24,000 visitors.
The Audit Office's Recommendation: Close Up Shop in Winter
The Audit Office proposes partially or entirely closing the museum in winter to slash costs on external staff. Maybe upping the attractiveness of exhibitions, events, and projects to lure in more visitors is an option as well.
The responsible Ministry of Culture paddled in and explained that closing the outdoor area in winter is a no-go. Damage from vandalism and theft is expected if the area is empty. Increasing the attractiveness of exhibitions, events, and projects requires investments. But, the state has "very limited" funds for this.
Closing Times Creeping into Winter
Closing times during winter are becoming more frequent at cultural attractions outside the cities. For example, the state-owned Ludwigslust Castle will pull up the drawbridge on general opening hours from November to March and only welcome visitors on weekends to save on costs. Over at similarly state-owned Mirow Castle (Mecklenburg Lake District), a visit is typically only possible by appointment from November to February. The state-owned Bothmer Castle on the Mecklenburg Baltic coast only opens on weekends from November to March. There's even a fixed guided tour on Thursdays.
- The State Audit Office suggests that the museum could reduce costs by either partially or completely closing during winter, thus limiting the need for private security services, which have reported expenses of approximately €100k, a sum significantly higher than the museum's annual revenue.
- To counteract the financial strain of winter months, the museum could focus on enhancing its lifestyle-related and home-and-garden exhibitions and events, potentially attracting a broader audience and generating more revenue to cover operational expenses.
