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Hartwig Fischer will step down as director of the British Museum in 2024 after eight years in the role
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 28 Jul 2023
Hartwig Fischer has helmed the London institution since 2016 Credit: Canva
Hartwig Fischer will step down as director of the British Museum after eight years in the role.
The German art historian has helmed the London institution since 2016, when he was tasked with developing a masterplan for the “badly needed renovation” of the historic building.
The masterplan is expected to be released this autumn and will be followed by an international architectural competition.
During his tenure, Fischer has led the museum through the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the institution shutter its doors for several months due to global lockdowns, and faced a number of controversies, including the ongoing dispute over the Parthenon marbles, which have been on display at the museum since 1817, and accusations of greenwashing through its corporate partnership with BP.
Fischer has also overseen the creation of the British Museum Archaeological Research Collection - a new research and storage facility which is scheduled to open in Reading, UK, next year. He has also organised several major exhibitions and supervised the refurbishment of several galleries in the museum.
“In 2016, I was called to the British Museum to prepare the essential renovation of a building in need of rejuvenation, a global icon of the museum architecture whose complex architectural substance calls for urgent, large-scale intervention,” Fischer said.
“The renovation work itself will take several decades, but the mission I was given by the trustees has been accomplished: the foundations of the BM masterplan are now laid. It will serve as the basis for all subsequent work and forms the foundation to innovative concepts for the future display.
“I am excited about the next phase of my career, moving beyond the institutional framework of a single museum to engage in the rescue and preservation of cultural heritage in times of climate crisis, conflict, war and violence.”
The British Museum will start the application process for its new director in the autumn.
Museums and galleries
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