Wiener Holocaust Library announces new director

The Wiener Holocaust Library has announced that its new director will be Dr Toby Simpson, replacing longstanding director Ben Barkow when he retires next month.

Simpson is an internal appointment at the Holocaust study centre in London, having worked at the Library for eight years, as one-time Head of Digital and more recently fundraising as Head of Development.

Financing will be his immediate priority after the centre released its annual report from 2018. This showed how expenditure exceeded income by £250,000 for the year, with donations and grants markedly down on 2017. Simpson led efforts to secure a £100,000 annual grant for three years from the Sigrid Rausing Trust, which has begun this year.

Anthony Landes, chair of trustees, paid tribute to Barkow’s 30 years of “extraordinary service” including 19 years of “outstanding leadership” as director.

“Ben’s stewardship has been characterised by innovative ideas, strategic thinking and, most valuable, his tireless efforts to increase the credibility and visibility of the Library both within the UK and internationally,” said Landes.

“He has initiated the process of adapting our name and communications to clarify the centrality of the Holocaust to our collections and to increase our online audiences, while retaining our commitment to furthering the study of genocide. In all aspects, the Wiener Holocaust Library has improved during Ben’s tenure.”