The Minister of Culture, Natalia Intotero (PSD), announced on Tuesday the dismissal of Ernest Oberlander-Târnoveanu, the director of the National Museum of History, after he refused to resign. “It is an unpleasant situation for him as well, but I felt he was overwhelmed by this situation, particularly in terms of communication,” said Intotero.
“After the government meeting, upon returning to the ministry, I issued several requests. I asked all museum managers to inform us by Thursday about the security and surveillance systems each institution has. By the same deadline, they must also report if they have any cultural assets outside the country.
I specifically requested Ernest Oberlander-Târnoveanu to urgently provide all documentation related to the organization of the exhibition, including the rationale for hosting it at that museum and all correspondence with the Dutch museum director.
I have not received any information regarding the rationale or necessity of this exhibition. I met with the museum director to express my dissatisfaction with the way communication was handled during this crisis. It is essential to provide timely responses to inquiries. This is a pain that words cannot fully express.
I experienced difficulties myself while on the way to Poland, struggling with phone signal issues. I remember on the evening of the 25th, after learning of this tragedy, you started calling me non-stop, and I answered. However, I was not receiving updates from within the country, particularly from the National Museum of History of Romania.
I was put in an embarrassing position. I am a person who values dialogue. I didn’t take this position to dismiss anyone. I want to build a team. Those under my supervision must communicate information to me promptly. Perhaps he [Oberlander-Târnoveanu] was under pressure as well. It’s an unpleasant situation for him too, but I felt he was overwhelmed by this crisis in terms of communication.
I asked the director to submit his resignation as an act of honor, but he refused. Consequently, I proceeded with terminating his management contract. There will be a 15-day notice period,” the minister stated.
In retort, the sacked museum manager said that he had not violated any law and that leaving the MNIR without leadership in these days would seriously affect the process of recovering the stolen artifacts.