Jana Horváthová Steps Down as Director of the Museum of Romani Culture in Brno
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As of today, Jana Horváthová has left her post as director of the Museum of Romani Culture in Brno, an institution under the Czech Ministry of Culture. The ministry announced the news, according to the ČTK news agency.
The 59-year-old historian, museologist, ethnographer and co-founder of the museum cited severe exhaustion after years in an extremely demanding role and a desire to devote more time to her professional academic work as the reasons for her resignation. Horváthová had led the museum since 2003 and was one of its founding figures.
Who Will Take Over
From September 1, Karolína Spilmannová, previously deputy director, will serve as acting director. According to the ministry, this arrangement will ensure continuity of leadership and uninterrupted operations at the institution.
"I trust the new director, and it is my strong wish that the museum continues to grow, remains strong, and stays a state institution — because, in my view, this is the only form in which a museum of a national minority like this can survive," Horváthová said.
Culture Minister Otto Klempíř (of the Motorists party) thanked Horváthová for more than twenty years of work, noting that she "was there at the museum's founding and shaped much of its present character." According to the minister, Horváthová wishes to remain at the museum and continue her academic work as a historian and curator — the exact position will be decided by the new leadership.
Spilmannová said she was glad that Horváthová would remain part of the team, which will allow all ongoing projects to continue, including visitor services and support for the Memorial to the Roma and Sinti Holocaust in Lety in the Písek region.
What Will Change at the Museum
The change in leadership will not affect the institution's operations: both memorials — in Hodonín u Kunštátu and in Lety u Písku — will continue to function without restrictions, as will the museum's research, educational and cultural programs.
Minister Klempíř said he does not yet want to set a timeline or process for selecting a permanent director. "Our goal is to find a professionally and managerially strong, authoritative figure capable of leading the museum and developing it over the long term," he emphasized.
The Ministry of Culture also does not plan to keep the museum's Advisory Board in its current form. According to Klempíř, since the museum is a state institution, the accountability of its leadership to the ministry as its founding body must be clearly defined — though room for professional discussion will remain, with a new platform being considered for that purpose. The minister will soon discuss the museum's future development with Edita Stejskalová, the government's commissioner for Roma minority affairs.
Source: seznamzpravy.cz
