Michael Eissenhauer (born 28 November 1956 in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

) is a German

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

and was director-general of the

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums) are a group of institutions in Berlin, Germany, comprising seventeen museums in five clusters; several research institutes; libraries; and supporting facilities. They are overseen by the ...

Biography

After gaining his

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

(school-leaving certificate) in 1975, Michael Eissenhauer completed two years of training as a

cabinetmaker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (solid ...

before going on to study

art history Art history is the study of Work of art, artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Tradit ...

, classical archaeology and German

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

in Tübingen and Hamburg. He received both a master's degree (1983) and a PhD (1985) from the

University of Hamburg The University of Hamburg (, also referred to as UHH) is a public university, public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('':de:Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen, ...

. After working as a research trainee at the

Germanisches Nationalmuseum The ''Germanisches Nationalmuseum'' is a museum in Nuremberg, Germany. Founded in 1852, it houses a large collection of items relating to German culture and art extending from prehistoric times through to the present day. The museum is Germany' ...

in Nuremberg (1987–1989), he became a researcher at the

Deutsches Historisches Museum The German Historical Museum (), known by the acronym DHM, is a museum in Berlin, Germany devoted to German history. It describes itself as a place of "enlightenment and understanding of the shared history of Germans and Europeans". It is often ...

in Berlin (1989–1990), returning to the Germanisches Nationalmuseum as a curator from 1991 to 1995.Lebenslauf (Kulturstiftung des Bundes)
/ref> From 1995 to 2001 he was director of the Kunstsammlungen der

Veste Coburg The Veste Coburg (Coburg Fortress) is one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses of Germany. It is situated on a hill above the town of Coburg, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria. Geography Location Veste Coburg dominates the town of C ...

, and then, until 2008, director of the Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, which was restructured and considerably expanded under his leadership. From 2002 to 2007, Michael Eissenhauer was a member of the Committee of ICOM Deutschland and from 2003 to 2010, president of the Deutscher Museumsbundes. In December 2007, the Board of the

Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (; SPK) is a German federal government body that oversees 27 museums and cultural organizations in and around Berlin, Germany. Its purview includes all of Berlin's State Museums, the Berlin State Library, ...

appointed Michael Eissenhauer to succeed Peter-Klaus Schuster as director-general of the

. He held this position from 31 October 2008 until retirement on 30 September 2022. On 1 August 2016 he also took over the post of director of the Gemäldegalerie and Skulpturensammlung at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. During his tenure, on the one hand, he is perceived as a "cultural manager", but on the other hand, it has been repeatedly stated that the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin need "a creative manager, not an administrator". Since the winter semester of 2012/2013, Michael Eissenhauer has been teaching at the Institut für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte (IKB) at the

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humboldt, ...

. The university made him an

honorary professor Honorary titles (professor, president, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as ...

in 2016.

Major works

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References

External links

*
Interview with the director-general
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eissenhauer, Michael Living people 1956 births German art historians Directors of museums in Germany Historians from Stuttgart University of Hamburg alumni Directors of the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin