The Culture Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe presented the prestigious Museum Prize to the Museum of Communication on 9 April 2019 in Strasbourg. According to Nino Goguadze, committee representative for the Museum Prize, the Museum of Communication stands out as a very interactive, multisensory, participatory, accessible, playful, open and democratic museum. It addresses issues that arise in relation to present-day communication in a creative and open way. The museum was deemed outstanding in the way it engages visitors to critically reflect on our contemporary world with various implications brought by new technologies and new forms of communication. The director of the Museum of Communication, Jacqueline Strauss, sees this award as a tremendous recognition for the museum. “We wanted to reinvent the museum – this award is now a wonderful affirmation of our work.”

The Council of Europe Museum Prize has been awarded annually since 1977 to a museum judged to have made a significant contribution to the understanding of European cultural heritage, the promotion of respect for human rights and democracy, bridging cultures, overcoming social and political borders, and broadening visitors’ knowledge of contemporary societal issues. It is only the third time that the prize has been awarded to a museum in Switzerland.

Appraisal by the Council of Europe