1991
Alexander Klee and Livia Klee-Meyer, heirs to Felix Klee, loan the art works and part of the documents from the estate of Felix Klee to Bern’s Art Museum.

Alexander Klee approaches the then Director of Bern’s Art Museum, Hans Christoph von Tavel, and raises the idea of establishing in Bern a museum dedicated to Paul Klee.

1992–1997
Together with Alexander Klee and the directors of the Bern Art Museum, representatives of the City and Canton of Bern plan the building of a Paul Klee museum to be erected near the Art Museum.

1997
Livia Klee-Meyer donates to the City and Canton of Bern some 650 works by Paul Klee and other artists from his circle subject to the proviso that a museum dedicated to Paul Klee be erected by the end of 2006.

Agreement between the City, Canton and Civic Community of Bern concerning the joint planning and completion of a museum in Bern dedicated to Paul Klee, and its running.

Zentrum Paul Klee project organisation, headed by three public bodies, namely the City, Canton and Civic Community of Bern.

1998
Alexander Klee agrees to offer around 850 works by Paul Klee and various artists of Klee’s acquaintance to the museum dedicated to Paul Klee in the form of a (permanent) loan.

Offer of a donation by Prof. Maurice E. Müller and his wife Martha Müller-Lüthi. The offer concerns two plots of land at Schöngrün on the eastern outskirts of Bern, and at least 30 million Swiss francs. Conditions: Schöngrün as location; Renzo Piano as the architect; and a cultural centre – not a traditional museum – is to be planned and completed there.

Acceptance of the Müllers’ offer of donation, and founding of the Maurice E. and Martha Müller Foundation on 4 November to finance the project evaluation, planning and construction of the Zentrum Paul Klee.

Renzo Piano accepts the architecture commission on 18 December.

Alexander Klee and Livia Klee-Meyer agree to hand over documents on the life and work of Paul Klee to the Zentrum Paul Klee.

The Civic Community of Bern gives a commitment to make a single contribution to the construction costs (20 million Swiss francs) or a recurring contribution (1 million Swiss francs) to the running costs.

The City and Canton of Bern agree to cover running costs and site development costs.

1999
The preliminary architectural draft is presented to the public for the first time at the Bern Kornhaus in December.

2000
The planning and development are again presented to the public at the Bern Kornhaus in January.

End January/early February: Municipal consultation procedure on the change of the zoning plan.

The preliminary project is completed in the summer and submitted to the political decision-makers of the City and Canton of Bern.

15 September: Formation of the management body Stiftung Zentrum Paul Klee [Zentrum Paul Klee Foundation]. President: Member of the Cantonal Government Dr Hans Lauri.

The bill submitted to the Grand Council covers cantonal contributions to the set-up costs, the planning and development, and the land acquisition. The cantonal parliament approves the bill on 27 November by 132 votes
to 7.

The bill submitted to the City Council contains not just the elements corresponding to the bill submitted to the Grand Council but also changes to the zoning plan. The City Council approves the bill submitted on 30 November by 66 votes for, none against.

13 December: The Civic Community of Bern promises a commitment appropriation (20 million Swiss francs).

2001
February: Exhibition highlighting the current state of progress of Renzo Piano’s architectural project (third exhibition at the Kornhaus and on the Kornhausplatz).

On 4 March the City of Bern referendum adopts the bill submitted by an overwhelming majority (78 per cent of votes in favour). The application for the building permit is submitted the same month.

Andreas Marti, Overall Project Manager, is elected as the first director of the Zentrum Paul Klee on 20 March by the Board of the Stiftung Zentrum Paul Klee.

March: Development process begins.

Summer/autumn: Another management post at the Centre is filled (Ursina Barandun: Communications and Mediation).

September: W. Luginbühl, Member of the Cantonal Government, appointed new Chairman of the Stiftung Zentrum Paul Klee.

Building approval is granted, and ground is first broken on 15 October.

End November: Appointment to fill a further post in the Centre management (Dr Christine Hopfengart: Collection Curator, exhibitions and research).

Founding of the Paul Klee-Stiftung der Burgergemeinde Bern [Paul Klee Foundation of the Bern Civic Community], which is to help fund exhibitions, the acquisition of works of art and other activities by the Zentrum Paul Klee.

31 December: Deadline for availability of the necessary building and operating loans with due legal effect (condition of Livia Klee-Meyer's donation).

2002
Contracts of deposit are concluded with various private collectors.

10 June: The Müller family sets up the Fondation du Musée des Enfants auprès du Centre Paul Klee, the operating company for the children’s museum Kindermuseum Creaviva at the Zentrum Paul Klee.

20 June: Cornerstone-laying ceremony, completion of major earthworks, start of actual construction work.

15 August: Delegates to the Regional Cultural Conference of Bern vote in favour of the new cultural contracts with the City of Bern. The five leading Bern cultural institutions now include the Zentrum Paul Klee for the first time pursuant to the Cultural Promotion Act (Municipal Theatre, Symphony Orchestra, Art Museum, Historical Museum, Zentrum Paul Klee).

26 August: The Bern Local Council and the Maurice E. and Martha Müller Foundation jointly publish the brochure entitled Schritte für Klee [Steps for Klee]. 18 footpaths and streets around the Zentrum Paul Klee are named after works by Paul Klee. The Zentrum Paul Klee’s address becomes "Monument im Fruchtland 3" [Monument in the fertile country 3].

Winter half-year: The 84 local authorities that make up the Bern Regional Cultural Conference vote on the new subsidy contracts with the big five cultural institutions of Bern.

2003
31 March: As the 56th Local Authority of the Regional Cultural Conference Kehrsatz says “Yes” to the Bern cultural subsidies totalling an annual figure of 50.76 million Swiss francs (share of the 84 Local Authorities of the Region: 11% or 5.58 million Swiss francs). The necessary two-third majority is thus reached.

On 1 October the Fondation Musée des Enfants auprès du Centre Paul Klee appoints Adrian Weber as the Director of the children’s Museum Kindermuseum Creaviva at the Zentrum Paul Klee.

1 December: Another management position at the Centre is filled, with the appointment of Prof. Dr Tilman Osterwold (Artistic Director). Dr Christine Hopfengart, who previously held the dual function of curator of the Paul-Klee-Stiftung [Paul Klee Foundation] and Head of the Collection, Exhibition and Research Department, is appointed full-time curator of the Paul-Klee-Stiftung, a position in which she is primarily responsible for completing the catalogue of works and transferring the art collection and the archives to the Zentrum Paul Klee.

The official topping-out ceremony is held on 1 December.

1 December: Public presentation of the Corporate Design (CD), the Corporate Identity (CI) and the new name Zentrum Paul Klee (previously Paul Klee-Zentrum).

31 December: Deadline for the cornerstone-laying ceremony (condition of Livia Klee-Meyer’s donation).

2004
1st quarter: Two further management positions are filled at the Centre, with Kaspar Zehnder (Artistic Director, Music) and Markus Klopfstein (Director, Facility Management).

Work on the interior finishing is to begin, following the completion of the outer shell.

The administrative offices move into the South Hill of the Zentrum Paul Klee in November. The staff of the Paul-Klee-Stiftung move into the Zentrum Paul Klee.

The Paul-Klee-Stiftung set to merge with the Stiftung Zentrum Paul Klee per 31 December.

2005
Installation work and preparations for the opening.

Inaugural festivities to be held in from 20 June to 3 July.

2006
31 December: Latest date for inauguration (condition of the Livia Klee-Meyer donation).