Following a series of mishaps and deficiencies in its investigation into the theft of numerous artifacts from its collections, the Director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, tendered his resignation on Friday (August 25). These incidents have led to international embarrassment and raised concerns about the museum’s systematic shortcomings, as reported by British media.
Fischer, a German art historian who had been at the helm of the museum since 2016, had previously announced his intention to step down after serving an eight-year term. He conceded that his response to warnings indicating a potential theft by an employee should have been more effective and acknowledged that the failures ultimately rest with him.
Acknowledging these issues, Fischer stated, “It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have.”
Of note, an earlier statement from the British Museum had initially stated that Fischer would resign “with immediate effect,” but this was later revised to indicate that his resignation would take place once an interim leader had been appointed.
In recent weeks, a staff member had been dismissed in connection with the theft of gold jewelry and gems spanning from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD. These items were reported stolen from a storeroom within the museum. Additionally, discrepancies were identified in the museum’s collection, with items being categorized as “missing, stolen, or damaged,” leading to a police investigation.
The police, having interviewed but not charged the unnamed individual responsible for the stolen artifacts, stated that Fischer took responsibility for the museum’s shortcomings in responding to warnings about the potential theft of thousands of objects in 2021.
Fischer’s resignation follows his recent defense of the museum’s handling of alerts from author, academic, and antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel, who had raised concerns about the stolen items. Gradel contested Fischer’s claim that the concerns pertained to only a “small number of items,” criticizing the museum’s treatment of him and welcoming Fischer’s resignation.
According to Gradel, as many as 2,000 items could have been stolen, including the entire collection of unregistered gems. He expressed concerns about the absence of proper record-keeping at the British Museum, emphasizing the challenges of returning items that cannot be identified.
Fischer also retracted remarks made about the antiquities dealer and expressed “sincere regret” for the misjudged comments.
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