Organizer Information
The Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz (Chemnitz Art Collections) house one of the largest and most important municipal art collections in Germany. The institution grew out of civic groups such as the Kunsthütte zu Chemnitz art association, founded in 1860; these were consolidated under the King Albert Museum in 1909 and became a municipal museum in 1920. Today the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz comprise a complex of museums and sites: the Kunstsammlungen am Theaterplatz (with the Carlfriedrich Claus Archive), the Museum Gunzenhauser, the Schloßbergmuseum with Rabenstein Castle, the Henry van de Velde Museum, and the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Haus. The Museum Gunzenhauser, opened in 2007, holds the collection of Munich gallery owner Dr. Alfred Gunzenhauser — more than 3,000 works by 270 artists spanning classical modernism and the second half of the 20th century, including one of the world's largest holdings of Otto Dix and a major Alexej von Jawlensky collection. The Henry van de Velde Museum is housed in Villa Esche, a 1902 art nouveau residence designed by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, and displays works from the Kunstsammlungen's Textile and Decorative Arts Collection, which has acquired contemporary European decorative arts and textiles continuously since its founding in 1898.
Title & Description
Scientific Trainee (m/f/d) with a Focus on Textiles and Arts and Crafts
This academic traineeship offers a practical introduction to museum work at the Chemnitz Art Collections, with a specific focus on textiles and arts and crafts. Trainees expand and deepen their scientific knowledge, actively participate in ongoing projects, and gain exposure to the diverse working areas of a museum, including exhibition preparation, collections care and digitisation, scientific research and publication writing, and public-facing programming such as guided tours.
The Role Overview
- Position Type: Full-time and part-time possible
- Contract Type: Fixed-term, limited to 2 years
- Salary: €2,357.02 gross per month, TVöD pay scale (Entgeltgruppe as stated, EG TVöD)
- Department / Programme: Chemnitz Art Collections (Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz), traineeship coordinated by Team Training
Position & Tasks
- Collaboration in the conceptual, organizational and administrative preparation and implementation of museum exhibitions
- Participation in the care, scientific processing and digitization of the collections, as well as maintenance of the museum database
- Conducting scientific research and writing texts and contributions to publications
- Conception and implementation of guided tours through collections and exhibitions
- Getting to know the various fields of work of a museum and working on cross-departmental projects
Categories
- Curatorial Practice
- Museum Studies
- Textile/Decorative Arts
- Art History
- Collections Management
- Provenance Research
Eligibility
- A recently completed academic university degree (Master's or Doctorate) in art history, cultural studies, curatorial studies, or a comparable museum-relevant discipline
- Advantageous: initial experience working with museum databases
- Very good knowledge of arts and crafts and design of the 19th and 20th centuries
- Good IT skills
- Very good verbal and written German language skills, as well as very good English skills
- Strong communication skills, a sense of responsibility, and an independent, structured, team-oriented way of working
- Interest in provenance research, anti-discrimination, and discrimination-sensitive language
- A high degree of reliability, integrity, and official conduct ensuring reliable and conscientious performance of duties in the public service
- Severely disabled persons and persons with equivalent status are given preference over other applicants if equally qualified
- No geographic or nationality restriction stated in the source
Program Benefits
- Monthly gross salary: €2,357.02 (TVöD pay scale)
- 30 days of vacation per calendar year
- Working time account and flexitime for organizing working hours
- Possibilities for mobile working
- Internal networking through an employee app
- Personal development and further training opportunities
- Described as a reliable and family-friendly employer
- Additional stated appeal: a city to discover, with affordable housing and noted daycare centers and schools
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 19 August 2026
Location
Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany
Additional Details
- The City of Chemnitz states it stands for equal opportunities and anti-discrimination, and aims for its workforce to reflect the diversity of urban society
- Questions can be directed to Sarah Breitfeld, Team Training, at sarah.breitfeld@stadt-chemnitz.de (for inquiries only — not for submitting applications)