Foreword

A Doctor of Natural Sciences, Hans-Martin Hinz began his museum career as adviser for the establishment of new museums for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in West Berlin, Germany.

From 1991 to 2012, Dr Hinz was a member of the management team (Geschäftsleitung) at the German Historical Museum, where he curated several international exhibitions,organised 90 national and international symposia and authored more than 150 articles. He also helped establish several new museums. His department was charged with marketing, public relations, event management and national and international representation of the museum.

From 2000 to 2001, he was Deputy Minister of Culture (Staatssekretär) for Berlin.

During his career, Dr Hinz also occupied several positions in national and international museum institutions, including his membership in the German Art Council (1999-2004), his positions of Deputy Chair of the International Association of History Museums (IAMH,1998-2005), Chair of the Advisory Council of Berlin’s City Museum (2004-2008), Chair of the Association of German Historical Research Institutions in Munich (2003-2012), Board member of the Curt Engelhorn Foundation in Mannheim (since 2004), and Deputy Chair of the Research Foundation for European Overseas History (since 2004).

Since 2007 he has been chair of the Advisory Council for the Sudentendeutsches Museum in Munich and since 2009, member of the Advisory Board of the Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg (House of History of Baden-Württemberg) in Stuttgart. Dr Hinz has taught museum studies at the University of Bayreuth since 2007.Fore