New Head for German Museum Announced - Museum in Germany appoints new leader
New Director for the German Museum
Munich, Germany - Physicist Michael Decker, currently leading the Informatics, Economy, and Society department at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has been appointed as the new Director of the renowned German Museum in Munich. He succeeds Wolfgang M. Heckl, who retires after over two decades of service. Decker's tenure began on June 1, 2025, concurrently taking on the Chair of Science Communication at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Culture Minister Markus Blume (CSU) lauded Decker, noting that his extensive qualifications and management experience make him an ideal choice for a Leibniz research museum and a crowd-puller. The 59-year-old's inauguration and Heckl's farewell are scheduled for June 2, 2025.
In addition to managing the famed technology and science museum, Decker will also oversee the science communication chair at TUM. Decker is a member of the German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) and chairs the advisory board "INSIGHT - Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Social and Technological Change" for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
The German Museum, a research museum within the Leibniz Association, operates across several locations in Munich, Nuremberg, and Bonn. Ongoing renovation and modernization work at the main Munich site are set to continue until 2028. Other locations include the Traffic Center on Theresienhöhe, the Schleißheim Airport, and branches in Nuremberg and Bonn.
- Michael Decker, the newly appointed Director of the German Museum, will leverage his role to foster a community policy that integrates science, education, and self-development within the museum's environment, as he also oversees the science communication chair at the Technical University of Munich.
- In coordination with his duties as the German Museum's Director, Michael Decker will emphasize the importance of environmental sustainability in the museum's practices and exhibitions, aligning with his role as a member of the German Academy of Science and Engineering, which advocates for interdisciplinary perspectives on social and technological change.
