Hartwig Fischer to Depart as British Museum Director in 2024 After Seven-Year Tenure

Hartwig Fischer will leave his role as director of the British Museum in 2024, having served since 2016. His tenure included managing a significant building renovation, COVID-19 lockdowns, a workers' strike in February 2023, and the end of BP sponsorship due to activist campaigns. Former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne joined as the museum's chair during this period. Fischer stated that his mission to lay the foundations for the BM Masterplan, addressing the museum's architectural needs, has been accomplished, though the renovation will span decades. The unresolved issue of the Parthenon Marbles and broader repatriation debates persist. The museum will initiate a search for a successor later this year.