British Museum 'Humiliated' After Employee Steals 1,500 Items from Collection... Director Resigns

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The director of the British Museum in the UK resigned on the 25th (local time) after recently confirming that over 1,500 items from the collection, spanning at least 20 years, had been stolen.

According to foreign media including AFP, Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, admitted that he did not respond properly when warned about suspected theft and stated, "I did not do what I should have done," announcing his resignation.

Earlier, on the 16th, the museum disclosed the theft, stating, "It has been confirmed that items from the collection have been missing, stolen, or damaged for a considerable period," adding, "Most of the stolen items were small pieces stored in the warehouse, including jewelry from 3,500 years ago." These stolen items were reportedly kept for academic or research purposes and had not yet been publicly displayed.

Subsequently, British media reported that the number of stolen items exceeds 1,500 and the damage amounts to millions of pounds.

The suspect was identified as Peter Higgs, a Mediterranean expert and senior curator who had worked at the museum since 1993. The museum has dismissed him.

Despite the thefts occurring at least 20 years ago, the investigation only began last year, raising concerns about the museum's poor management.

Director Fischer acknowledged, "Allowing him to take the collection was a procedural failure, and ultimately, the responsibility for that failure lies with the director."

The theft was already known externally in 2021. Danish art dealer Itai Gradel revealed that he purchased about 70 suspected stolen items on the online auction site eBay in February 2021 and warned the museum. However, the museum ignored the warning at that time.

As the British Museum’s mismanagement became public, Greece demanded the return of the 'Marbles' sculptures. The president of the Greek Archaeological Association pointed out in a BBC interview, "I want to say that we can no longer claim that Greek cultural heritage is better protected at the British Museum." The Marbles are part of the Parthenon temple.

The British Museum was established in 1753. It holds about 8 million artifacts, including Egyptian mummies. Only 80,000 pieces are on public display, which is just 1% of the entire collection.

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