After a series of thefts
German head of the British Museum resigns
Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum in London, resigns. photo
© Benedict Johnson/British Museum/dpa
The aegis of the first German director at the British Museum came to an abrupt end. Objects are said to have been stolen from the world-famous institution for years. Director Hartwig Fischer is now taking responsibility for “the failure”.
This is probably not how he imagined his departure: the director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, resigns prematurely in view of the recent series of thefts in the renowned building. The museum announced this on Friday. The German didn’t want to give up his post until next year – “after eight successful years at the head of the company,” as stated in a statement at the end of July. Now it’s over “with immediate effect”, as the house announced. Fischer stated that he would give up the management as soon as an interim solution had been found.
A short time later, the museum announced that Deputy Director Jonathan Williams was voluntarily resting his duties pending an independent investigation, effective immediately.
The German cultural manager was doomed by an outrageous series of thefts that became public last week. According to the British Museum, several objects had been stolen or damaged. Among other things, it is about gold jewelry, jewels made of semi-precious stones and glass. According to the information, some of the objects date from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD.
More than 1000 objects have disappeared
A former employee who was fired in connection with the incidents is suspected and legal action has been taken against him. According to the police, a man was questioned in connection with the incidents. Initially, however, there was no arrest.
New details came to light almost every day. According to media reports, well over 1,000 objects have been stolen over a period of several years. In addition, there are said to have been indications as early as 2021 – for example that objects from the museum were offered for sale on an online auction platform. However, the information was not taken seriously.
Fischer was initially defiant and seemed to want to shift the blame. It was “frustrating” that the whistleblower did not provide more information in 2021. “Only a small number of items were raised and our investigation concluded that all of these items were present,” the German stressed. Now he expressed regret about this communication and withdrew it.
In the last few days, he has examined in detail the events surrounding the thefts at the British Museum and their investigation, he said in his statement on Friday. It is evident that the museum did not respond to the warnings in 2021 and to the issue that has now fully surfaced as comprehensively as it should have. “Responsibility for this failure must ultimately lie with the director,” said Fischer, according to the announcement.
The British Museum in London is one of the most important museums in the world. It houses some of the most important cultural treasures of mankind. These include a significant portion of the Parthenon sculptures, the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.
The museum is in an extremely serious situation, Fischer was quoted as saying. “I sincerely believe it will get through this moment and come out of it stronger. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that my presence isn’t helping. That’s the last thing I want.”
The museum’s board chairman, George Osborne, said in the statement that the board had accepted Fischer’s resignation. He had behaved honorably by dealing with the mistakes made. “No one ever questioned Hartwig’s integrity, his dedication to the profession, or his love for the museum.”
Prior to his post in London, Fischer had managed important German museums. From 2006 he was director of the Museum Folkwang in Essen. In 2012 he became Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections. Then he was called to London. At the end of July he announced that he wanted to give up the post in 2024 and announced that he wanted to “go beyond the institutional framework of a single museum” in a new role in the future.