New V&A Museum Director Appointed

Top Job goes to German curator and academic Professor Martin Roth

Professor Martin Roth a German curator and academic has been appointed by the museum’s board of trustees and Prime Minister David Cameron, as the new director of the Victoria and Albert museum in South Kensington London. He is currently the director general of the Dresden State Art Collections which originated from the collections of the Saxon electors.  Historical sources show that August I, Elector of Saxony, founded the electoral Kunstkammer (literally “art chamber”) in 1560: a collection of art located in the Residenzschloss Dresden (Dresden Royal Palace). August the Strong and his son, August III, Kings of Poland, were important patrons and remarkable connoisseurs of the arts. They developed their art collections in a systematic fashion; in the process, they not only provided a foundation of extraordinary masterpieces for the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, but also made these works accessible to select circles in their own time. Today, the managers of the collections consider it their duty to preserve tradition while developing their visions and helping shape the future. Martin Roth is no stranger to overseeing vast amounts of historical decorative arts and will be a welcome addition to the V&A illustrious history of directors which included Sir Roy Strong. The 56-year-old said he was “honoured” to be the new director of “the world’s leading museum of art and design”.He replaces Sir Mark Jones, who has led the V&A since 2001. He leaves the museum in June to become Master of St Cross College, Oxford. Prof Roth was curator at the German Historical Museum in Berlin and director of the German Hygiene-Museum in Dresden before taking up his current role in 2001.

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