The project "Museiskapanden på det svenska konstfältet vid 1900-talets mitt. An investigation of art, art collections, the importance of art and its social function" aims, as the title indicates, to investigate the many museums of various kinds that were founded in Sweden between about 1930 and 1960. The main focus of the study is the possible connections between the opening of Prince Eugen's Waldemarsudde in 1948 and Moderna Museet in 1958. Waldemarsudde can by definition be considered Sweden's first museum for modern and contemporary art, so was it for this reason that the modern art museum so sought after by the art world was delayed? These two museums are also examples of two different foundations: the private and the public. At the same time, a number of county museums were established and other donor museums opened their doors to the public. Many of these contain art collections and some focus on art in particular. What is the significance of art in cultural history museums, and what social function are they allowed to have? Another question of importance for the study is the role of museums today, especially donor museums - are they still relevant or has their content played out its role? Swedish art museums are a largely unexplored area and the sociological perspective of art used in this study will provide results both for basic knowledge in the field and serve as a basis for further analysis of the role of art museums in society yesterday, today and tomorrow.