Jewels, gold jewelery and other art treasures have disappeared from the British Museum in London for years. Now the German director Fischer is resigning: the problem and previous notices have not been reacted to appropriately.
In view of a recent series of thefts at the British Museum, its director Hartwig Fischer is resigning with immediate effect. This was announced by the London institution.
In a statement, Fischer said he had been examining in detail the events surrounding the thefts at the British Museum and the investigation into them over the past few days. It is evident that the museum did not respond to the 2021 warnings 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,” says Fischer. The German had actually only wanted to give up his post next year.
Gold jewelry, jewels, glass
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. The majority of the items involved were small pieces kept in a museum storage room. 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, this was ignored.
Fischer previously also head of German museums
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.
Before the post in London, Fischer had also managed important museums in Germany. 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 would be stepping down from the post in 2024.