Nameless British Museum employees have instructed The Telegraph newspaper that the director of the museum, Hartwig Fischer, was compelled to resign on account of a collection of alleged thefts from the museum, with requires him to step down instantly.
Peter John Higgs, a outstanding curator who was employed on the British Museum for 30 years, was recognized in UK press stories because the particular person alleged to be chargeable for stealing priceless artefacts from the museum’s assortment. Higgs denies any wrongdoing.
Nevertheless, The Artwork Newspaper has been knowledgeable that Fischer’s resignation was not related to the thefts regardless of the timing of his resignation announcement final month (he’s scheduled to depart in 2024). “There’s a concern that it’s maybe handy to conflate the 2 points,” says a well-placed supply.
George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, mentioned on the time: “[Fischer] has led the devoted employees of the museum by way of tough intervals, such because the Covid lockdowns and in the present day’s inflation pressures.”
In accordance with the Telegraph, an unbiased investigation on the thefts has been handed correspondence courting again to February 2021. On this correspondence Jonathan Williams, the museum deputy director, was alerted to the thefts.
This data might place senior administration and the chair and trustees of the museum below additional scrutiny. A British Museum spokesperson instructed The Artwork Newspaper beforehand: “We received’t be commenting additional on this matter as it’s the topic of a police investigation.”
A spokesperson for the British Museum instructed The Telegraph that it was “categorically mistaken” to recommend there was any hyperlink between Fischer’s departure and the thefts, and “categorically” rejected any suggestion of a cover-up.
The stolen objects, together with a chunk of Roman jewelry provided with a minimal worth of £40, reportedly appeared on the public sale and procuring web site eBay as early as 2016. Crucially, additionally it is unclear if the entire lacking objects had been catalogued. In the meantime, different museum sources affirm that theft of small objects from museums, significantly gems, has lengthy been a priority and the query of safety in museums will now be compelled to the highest of the agenda.
