Boijmans director Ina Klaassen dies
Klaassen led Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen from 2019 and played a role in its renovation and the development of the Depot.
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Ina Klaassen, director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, died on Sunday. She had been seriously ill and stepped down from her duties in May.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen announced her death. In a statement, the museum described Klaassen as a director with a deep commitment to art and Rotterdam. She was 57.
Klaassen began as the museum’s business director in 2013 and became director in 2019. In that role, she was involved in plans to renovate the main building and in the development of Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the publicly accessible building where the collection is managed and displayed.
In May, the museum announced that Klaassen was temporarily stepping down from her duties because of serious illness. Sandra Kisters, director of Collections and Research, became acting director. According to the museum, Kisters will remain in that role for the time being.
Klaassen worked during a period in which Boijmans had to contend simultaneously with a lengthy renovation, temporary public venues and the further development of the Depot. The museum’s main building has been closed for renovation for some time. During that period, the Depot offered another way of making the collection and the museum’s work visible.
The supervisory board recently appointed Stephanie Rosenthal artistic director, effective in spring 2027. That appointment was separate from the temporary acting arrangement that arose after Klaassen stepped down from her duties. The museum therefore already has a transitional structure for its artistic and administrative leadership.
Klaassen was known in the cultural sector as an executive who linked business organisation with audience-focused museum development. The museum’s public statement emphasises above all her significance to the institution and the city of Rotterdam. No further information has been released about the circumstances of her death.
For Boijmans, her death means the loss of a director who was involved for many years in the museum’s direction and the renewal of its premises. Day-to-day leadership remains with Kisters for the time being. Attention will therefore shift to the progress of the renovation and the further organisation of the leadership transition.
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The core facts were confirmed by ANP and official publications from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. The text contains no speculation about the cause of death or private circumstances.
- confirmed Ina Klaassen died on Sunday 11 October 2026. — ANP reported her death on 11 October 2026. source
- confirmed Klaassen stepped down from her duties in May because of serious illness. — This is stated in Museum Boijmans’s report about her temporary replacement. source
- confirmed Sandra Kisters became acting director. — The museum appointed Kisters acting director in May. source
Editor's note
Her death, career and temporary succession were confirmed by ANP and the museum. Nothing has been added about the medical cause or private circumstances.Sources
- Ina Klaassen, directeur van Rotterdams museum Boijmans, overleden — ANP via ZeelandNet
- Tijdelijke vervanging van Ina Klaassen — Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
- Stephanie Rosenthal nieuwe artistiek directeur Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen — Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „ina klaassen”
- RTL Nieuws — „ina klaassen”
- NOS — „ina klaassen”