Since the inception of the first public collections, there have been intense debates about the design, audience, and political relevance of art museums. Commented source texts from Europe and the USA provide insight into the multifaceted positions from 1750 to 1950. In recent years, the history of museums has established itself as a distinct field of research. This collection of international source material forms the basis for new approaches to the history of the art museum. The volume includes well-known writings such as Gottfried Semper's 'Plan of an Ideal Museum' (1852) and Paul Valéry's 'The Problem of Museums' (1923), as well as forgotten texts by important museum figures. Some are presented here for the first time in German translation. Accompanying comments succinctly contextualize the sources within their cultural-historical framework. The anthology thus offers a transnational perspective on the development of the art museum.