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The news came as a surprise: Peter Kohler, who took over the post of director of the Swiss Outdoor Museum in the spring of 2016, should leave at the end of May 2019. Kohler decided to resign because "the distinction between operational and strategic competencies did not meet his expectations," Yesterday informed the Board of Trustees in Ballenberg.
Neither Kohler nor the Board of Creditors wanted to back up what was the matter. According to reports, repeated financial clashes meant that Kohler lost interest in the job and resigned. This, although commended by the Creditors Committee: In a statement, the commission confirms the 47-year-old, "stabilizes" the work of the museum, strengthened the staff structure, and increased the number of visitors in the last two seasons by twelve percent.
More rooms are needed
According to well-informed circles, after two years with high deficits for 2018, the Board of the Foundation had a sharp impact on further reduction of the accounting deficit, and for 2019th year and on a balanced budget. Kohler obviously made problems with a financially strong basket and demanded more space for salaries. He could open up new sources of revenue, for example with a new main sponsor. But he did not find it.
Kohler rejects this show on request. Then he did not want to comment on his decision. The chairman of the Foundation Council Peter Fluck said that, of course, the Board of Creditors is "responsible for ensuring that Ballenberg manages black numbers in the future". Kohler said he was "on the right track." He "has never thought much of the situation" that discussions on finance could trigger Kohler's decision, Fluck said. Balenberg has, meanwhile, been "well positioned" in all areas.
On the separation between strategic and operational management, Fluck said that before Kohler began "he started with clear guidelines." "I do not feel like I exaggerated talking to Peter Kohler."
Second departure from 2014
Departing to the open-air museum in Oberland at a sensitive moment: after a split, accompanied by loud disagreements by the Berne historian, Katrina Rieder is Haslitaler Kohler, the second director, who leaves after a difference in the Creditors' Committee since 2014. It is still unclear whether Rider left the institution voluntarily or illegally at the time. It was then considered that conservative members of the STD had no hay in the same stage with leftist historians. The thesis that prevailed since 2015. Fluck was always standing.
The open-air museum, which aims to bring visitors closer to life and to the creation of past generations, is also in a delicate stage of self-awareness: after several years of declining visitors, by 2017, they managed to re-increase them. However, the museum had a loss of 950000 francs.
The challenges for Ballenberg are enormous: the museum must be confirmed as a tourist player in a dynamic environment: public demands are increased, new offers for families such as amusement parks or summer slides become more and more competitive. Tourist development requires more and more attractions, but it is not easily compatible with the basic idea of an open-air museum with its historic buildings and the mediation of old crafts and cultural heritage. In addition, older people are no longer directly linked to the rural life of earlier generations.
Advertise with strangers
For the chairman of the Peter Fluck Foundation Council, it is therefore clear that Balenberg must continue to develop. In the future, at least 220000 guests will be needed. You want to increase the number of visitors, this will certainly be due to increased focus on foreign visitors, especially from Asia or Gulf states. Currently, about 80 percent of guests come from Switzerland and 20 percent from (mainly European) foreign countries. Among other things, in order to clarify the possibilities in the foreign guest segment, Ballenberg commissioned the Luzern University of Applied Science with Analysis. According to Fluck, the results will be available in autumn 2019.
It is expected that Kohler's successor will be responsible for implementing the future strategy since June 2019. According to Fluck, the Board of Creditors established a commission to fill the Chairman of the Executive Board. Submit your proposals to the Board of Creditors by the end of the year.
With SDA material. (DerBund.ch / Nevsnet)
Created: 14.11.2018, 22:50
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