Claude D. Conter Named Next Director of Luxembourg's National Library

Claude D. Conter has been appointed the new director of the National Library of Luxembourg, more widely known by its French abbreviation BnL.

This follows the news of Joanne Goebbels' nomination for the position on 24 April 2020. Following the vehement public discussion that resulted, Joanne Goebbels decided to renounce this appointment, maintaining that the BnL deserves serenity and calm to carry out the challenges it faces in the 21st century.

Following this renunciation, the government cabinet decided yesterday to propose the appointment of Claude D. Conter as the BnL's next director to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Claude D. Conter, who is expected to assume the role on 3 July 2020, will succeed Monique Kieffer who will retire after having managed the BNL for more than 20 years.

Born in 1974, Claude D. Conter studied German studies and communications at universities in Bamberg and Berlin. He was a scientific collaborator and / or lecturer at universities in Bamberg, Trier and Munich and visiting professor at the University of the South (TN, USA). He worked as a scientific collaborator at the Centre national de littérature (CNL) from 2003 to 2006 on the "Dictionary of Luxembourg authors" (Dictionnaire des auteurs luxembourgeois) project. In October 2008, he joined the CNL as a curator, before being appointed director in 2012.

Claude D. Conter is the author of several research publications on literature in Luxembourg; his works touch on archival science, German literature from the 18th century to contemporary literature, the relationships between literature and theatre, politics and law. In 2003, he published his doctoral thesis on visions of Europe between 1815 and 1848 (Europa - Inszenierungen im 19. Jahrhundert). Among his recent publications are notably those produced in collaboration with the CNL, including exhibition catalogues and the biannual Trouvailles-Fundstücke, but also articles on archival science and literature in Luxembourg in foreign publications.