The director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, is resigning with immediate effect in the face of the recent series of thefts in the house. This was announced by the London institution on Friday. The German actually only wanted to give up his post next year.
Over the past few days, he has reviewed in detail the events surrounding the thefts at the British Museum and the investigation into them, he said in the statement. 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 announced last week that 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. A former employee who was fired in connection with the incidents is suspected and legal action has been taken against him.
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 instructions were ignored.
The institution 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.
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. In 2016 he was appointed to London. It was not until the end of July that he announced that he would give up the post in 2024.