Berlin Jewish Museum head quits after controversial tweet
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Tuesday, December 24, 2024


Berlin Jewish Museum head quits after controversial tweet
In this file photo taken on August 21, 2014 Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin Peter Schaefer poses for a photo outside the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin Peter Schaefer quit on June 14, 2019 following mounting pressure over a tweet he made. Wolfgang Kumm / dpa / AFP.



BERLIN (AFP).- The director of Berlin's Jewish Museum resigned on Friday amid controversy over a tweet sent linking to an article that criticised the German parliament for passing legislation against the BDS movement, which demands a boycott of Israel.

Professor Peter Schaefer proposed his resignation "to avoid further damage" to the Jewish Museum, a statement on its website said.

It was accepted, the statement added, but no specific reason for his departure was given.

The German parliament last month condemned the BDS movement -- which stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions -- as anti-Semitic.

Lawmakers said the group uses anti-Semitic methods to promote its political goals -- a claim firmly rejected by the movement, which calls for a cultural boycott of Israel over its policies towards Palestinians.

BDS recently called for artists to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest held in Tel Aviv last month.

"'Don't buy' stickers of the BDS movement on Israeli products remind one of inevitable associations with the Nazi call 'Don't buy from Jews', and other corresponding graffiti on facades and shop windows," said the non-binding resolution in parliament.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the resolution on Twitter as an "important decision".

'Out of control'
Schaefer, director of the museum since September 2014, had recently had his contract extended to stay in post until August 2020, according to the museum.

Schaefer came under pressure after a tweet was sent by the museum encouraging people to read an article by Jewish scholars that criticised the parliamentary resolution.

In an interview with Der Spiegel on Wednesday, Schaefer defended the tweet as a "contribution to the discussion" but acknowledged the wording used was unfortunate.

Reacting to the tweet, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, criticised the museum as seeming to be "totally out of control".

A museum statement on Friday said Schaefer "today proposed his resignation to the chairman of the board of the foundation and Culture Minister Monika Grutters to avoid further harm to the Jewish Museum Berlin".

The spokeswoman for the museum that wrote the tweet was also dismissed for violating the neutrality rule of a publicly funded institution, the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung reported on Friday.

The museum has been repeatedly criticised by Israel for its "anti-Israeli stance", according to the German media.

In March, Schaefer sparked uproar by welcoming the head of the cultural affairs department at the Iranian Embassy in Berlin, Seyed Ali, to his house to discuss a possible display of archival photos of Iranian Jews, reported Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Issues related to anti-Semitism and Israel remain extremely sensitive in Germany, which has a culture of atonement over atrocities committed during World War II

Anti-Semitic crimes rose by 20 percent in Germany last year, according to interior ministry data which blamed nine out of 10 cases on the extreme right.


© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

June 15, 2019

Art expert stakes reputation on 'lost' $170 million Caravaggio

Old Masters rare at auction

Berlin Jewish Museum head quits after controversial tweet

Hauser & Wirth to open an arts centre on Menorca

Only 9% of millions pledged for Notre-Dame handed over

Phillips announces highlights from the London Sales of 20th Century & Contemporary Art

Muhammad Ali's autographed gold glove fails to sell at Turin auction

Exhibition at Foam unites ten years of Alex Prager's photographic and film works

Latvian National Museum of Art opens an exhibition of works by artist Hilda Vīka

Wide-ranging exhibition reveals how three generations of artists revolutionized the arts in Britain

First major retrospective of Paula Rego's work in England for over 20 years opens at MK Gallery

Silent Beauty invites you to admire the interplay of visual arts, ceramics and kimonos

The Barber Institute celebrates Cassiano dal Pozzo's remarkable contribution to art and science

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art opens an exhibition of works by Birgit Jürgenssen

The World Trade Center celebrates NYC Pride 2019 with public "Live 4 Love" art installation

John Bock develops a new project for Neuer Berliner Kunstverein

Solo exhibition by designer Ella Doran follows the journey of wool at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

The art of money: New Paris museum puts economy centre stage

A champion's collection to be offered at Freeman's

The art auction boom in figures

When the world stopped to watch Armstrong's moonwalk

João Laia nominated as a new chief curator of exhibitions at Kiasma

Almodovar to get Venice film festival lifetime award

VAT refund Claim under UAE VAT

Buy followers on Instagram easily

Pro Tips for Hiring the Best Air Conditioning HVAC Technician




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
(52 8110667640)

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful