by Ursula Kampmann
translated by honeycutshome
December 11, 2014 – Since December 5, 2014, it’s official: the Board of Trustees of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) has decided unanimously that Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weisser will succeed Bernd Kluge as Director of the Münzkabinett of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin as of June 1, 2015. This is good news since Bernhard Weisser is one of the numismatists who have already achieved so much in their career.
Bernhard Weisser (* 1964) graduated in 1996 with his PhD thesis about “Die kaiserzeitliche Münzprägung von Pergamon” (The Roman Imperial Coinage of Pergamon). Shortly afterwards, the keen numismatist arrived at the Berlin Münzkabinett where he, in his function as research assistant, proved himself splendidly in organizing and hosting the International Numismatic Congress in Berlin in 1997. Many of his good contacts to the important numismatists of the world hark back to this early stage. Bernhard Weisser was and still is a highly gifted networker. Polite, competent, balanced and always helpful, his presence is an asset every time, be it as a speaker at a congress or as company at a dinner. All these qualities have brought him not only the respect but also the affection of his colleagues. Anyone with a good idea for the benefit of numismatics can count on Bernhard Weisser and his help. To him, the cause always takes priority over personal vanity.
In 2003, Bernhard Weisser was appointed Curator of Greek Coins at the Münzkabinett, and in 2009 he became Deputy Director. In this function, he has set much in motion. Just think of his commitment for the collectors’ societies in Berlin, as President of the German Society for Medallic Art, or think of the Online Catalogue of the Berlin Münzkabinett which, thanks to its number of visitors, has got numismatics a whole new standing especially amongst the non-numismatic colleagues on the Museum Island.
Few things are as important to Bernhard Weisser as the promotion of young numismatists. Since 1996, he teaches at the Humboldt University Berlin as Honorary Professor and gives his students the chance of acquiring practical knowledge by means of working with the coins of the Münzkabinett.
Dear Bernhard, in the name of CoinsWeekly I am happy to congratulate you on your appointment. We all hope that you’ll see it as a request to continue like that.
Archäologie online was the first to report on the appointment.
A small introduction to the Berlin Münzkabinett is available on the homepage.
This is the famous Online Catalogue with more than 23,000 entries (and counting).