Mission statement

True to our claim „Discovering cultures – understanding history“ we want to surprise the visitors by means of an unusual narrative exhibition and a scenography aligned to it. We want to encourage and invite the visitors to discover and understand cultural diversity of different periods.

By building interdisciplinary bridges to distant archaeological and current cultures, particularly with our special exhibitions we want to promote the social understanding of cultural diversity. Here, exhibitions with reference to state and international archaeology will alternate. The smac focuses on cultural education. Science and the transfer of knowledge always are based on the current state of research. Our own research supports this.

The smac’s team sees itself as a host who takes to heart the well-being of its visitors and takes seriously their wishes and suggestions. To make our house a museum for all, our aims are accessibility, inclusion and participation. Besides this, we feel committed to the location in the former Schocken department store and its German-Jewish history and – against oblivion - we try to live a culture of memory. As a member of the ICOM (International Council of Museums) we are obliged to comply with the ethnic guidelines for museums. The same applies to the protection of cultural goods and the Restitution Act.

Since 2014 the smac is cultural ambassador for the Free State of Saxony.