Hartwig Fischer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hartwig Fischer
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Fischer in 2017
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| Born | 14 December 1962 |
| Nationality | German |
| Education | Ph.D. in History of Art |
| Alma mater | Munich University of Applied Sciences University of Bonn |
| Occupation | Art historian |
| Known for | Director of the British Museum |
| Predecessor | Neil MacGregor |
| Successor | Nicholas Cullinan |
Hartwig Fischer (born 14 December 1962) is a German art historian and museum director. From April 2016 until August 2023, he was the director of the British Museum in London. He was the first non-British person to lead the museum since 1866. Before that, from 2012 to 2016, he directed the Dresden State Art Collections in Germany.
Early Life and Learning
Hartwig Fischer was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on December 14, 1962. His father's family came from Mecklenburg. As a child, he visited relatives in Dresden, which was then in East Germany. There, he got his first look at art galleries.
Fischer studied art history and earned a special degree called a doctorate in 1994. He received this degree from the University of Bonn in Germany. He speaks German, English, French, and Italian very well.
His Career in Museums
Fischer started his career at the Kunstmuseum Basel, an art museum in Basel, Switzerland. From 2001 to 2006, he worked there as a curator. A curator is someone who looks after a museum's collections. He focused on art from the 1800s and modern art.
In 2006, he became the director of the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany. During his time there, the museum grew bigger. In December 2011, he was chosen to lead the Dresden State Art Collections. He took over from Martin Roth, who moved to direct the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Leading the British Museum
On September 25, 2015, the people in charge of the British Museum announced that Fischer would be their next director. He officially started this important job on May 4, 2016. He was the first director not from Britain since Sir Anthony Panizzi in 1866.
As director, Fischer spoke about the Elgin Marbles. These are ancient sculptures that were brought from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, to Britain between 1799 and 1810. They were collected by Lord Elgin. Fischer believed the British Museum should continue to own them.
In 2019, Fischer said that bringing the marbles to Britain was a "creative act." He also stated that the museum would not lend them to other museums. He felt they belonged to the museum's trustees, not the people of Athens. The Greek Minister of Culture, Myrsini Zorba, disagreed. She said his comments ignored international discussions. In December 2022, news reports said the British Museum was talking with the Greek government. They were discussing the possible permanent return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens.
In July 2023, Fischer announced he would leave his role in 2024. However, in August 2023, he resigned sooner. This happened because of concerns about how the museum handled some missing items. He stepped down after an interim director was chosen.
