The British Museum has named its first non-British director since the 19th century, appointing german Dr Hartwig Fischer to the role starting in 2016.

The first non-British head since Italian-born Sir Anthony Panizzi held the post of principal librarian between 1856 and 1866, Dr Fischer is currently director general of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden where he is responsible for fourteen museums and four separate institutions in four cities.

Prime Minister David Cameron, confirmed the appointment, calling Dr Fischer “the perfect choice”.

Dr Fischer takes over from Neil MacGregor, who steps down in December after more than a decade in the role, having taken up his position in 2002. When he joined the museum was attracting 4.6 million visitors a year. In the last decade-plus, that number has almost doubled to 6.7 million with the British Museum the second-most visited in the world behind the Louvre.

“Hartwig Fischer is the perfect choice to run the British Museum,” said MacGregor. “The museum, its staff, its trustees and its unparalleled collection are truly international. It therefore makes absolute sense for the new director to reflect this global outlook. Dr Fischer is a well-respected scholar with extensive experience. He will I am sure build on the British Museum’s recent successes to ensure the Museum remains one of the world’s greatest museums.”