Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, is to step down next year after eight years at the London institution.
The British Museum will start looking for its next director in the autumn, with Fischer supporting the transition in the coming months.
Fischer joined the museum in April 2016 and started developing a masterplan for a renovation and redisplay. Per a press release, work on the plan is nearing completion. It will be published this autumn and followed by an architectural competition.
“The renovation work itself will take several decades, but the mission I was given by the trustees has been accomplished: the foundations of the [masterplan] are now laid,” Fischer said in a statement.
Under Fischer’s leadership, the British Museum has constructed a new research and storage facility in Reading, to open next year. He has also overseen gallery refurbishments at the Bloomsbury site.
Among other things, during his tenure the institution expanded its research partnerships in Africa, China, India, South America and Australia, and cultural heritage preservation projects in Iraq and Nigeria.
“I am very proud of what we have achieved. It is now time to pass on leadership to continue creating a truly global museum whilst remaining at the heart of Britain’s cultural life,” Fischer added. “Over the next year, I will push ahead with our plans and secure a successful transition.”
Renovation plan to be published this year
George Osborne, chair of the British Museum, said Fischer has been “an intellectual tour de force, helping the British Museum present its collection to new audiences in new ways in brilliant exhibitions“.
“He has led the dedicated staff of the museum through difficult periods, such as the Covid lockdowns and today’s inflation pressures, and overseen major steps forward, such as the construction of the new research and storage facility in Reading,” Osborne said.
“We will start the search after the summer for that new director. Whoever follows will have the great advantage of building on all that Hartwig has done to put us in such a strong position for the future.”
Lead image credit: Benedict Johnson
