Martin Roth

Martin Roth (1955 – 2017) was the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum from 2011 to 2016, leading it through an era of enormous growth and change.

Before joining the V&A, Martin Roth was Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden), overseeing 12 museums and galleries. Martin Roth held this position from 2001, during which time many of the museums including the Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe, one of the richest treasure chambers in Europe), The Türckische Cammer (Ottoman Collection), the Porcelain Gallery, Dresden Castle and the Albertinum underwent major renovation and modernisation. During his career, Roth created a large network of international partners which has led to the development of numerous exhibitions overseas.

Roth was member of the advisory board of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berlin and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation/National Museums Berlin. He was Personal Member of the German Olympic Sports Federation, Frankfurt/Main and member of the advisory board of the DFB Fußballmuseum (Museum of the German Football Association), Dortmund as well as of the Deutsches Museum, Munich. He was also on the administrative board of the National Museum of German Art and Culture, Nuremberg and the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Frankfurt/Main. He was a curating member of the Dresdner Bank Cultural Foundation, Frankfurt/Main, the Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg, the Frauenkirche Dresden Foundation, Dresden, and the Humboldt-Forum, Berlin. He served as chairman of the jury 365 Orte im Land der Ideen, an event of the initiative Deutschland – Land der Ideen, Berlin and Member of the Prix Pictet Advisory Board, London.

Widely published, he was lecturer at the University of Dresden, the School of Design in Karlsruhe and the University of Karlsruhe.