Hartwig Fischer to take top job at the British Museum - Museums Association

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Hartwig Fischer to take top job at the British Museum

Outgoing director Neil MacGregor will leave in December
Nicola Sullivan
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It has been leaked to the national press that German art historian Hartwig Fischer will replace Neil MacGregor as director of the British Museum.
 
The Guardian reported that Fischer, currently the director of the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden), would be the first foreign director to run the institution in almost 200 years.  In his current role Fischer is responsible for 14 museums and four separate institutions in four cities.
 
From 2006-2012 Fischer was the director of the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany. During this time he oversaw the fundraising and restoration of the historic museum and the construction of a new building and presided over a period of increasing visitor figures. He began his museum career at the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland, where he was curator of 19th century and modern art from 2001-2006.

Fischer studied history of art, history and classical archaeology in Bonn, Berlin, Rome and Paris and holds a doctorate in philosophy.

The outgoing director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, will step down in December from the position he has held since 2002. He will chair an advisory board for Germany’s Humboldt-Forum, as well as working with the British Museum and the BBC on a new Radio 4 series on faith and society.


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