Nazi-looted cultural property

"Book presentation 'Kunst voor das Reich / Le trésor de guerre des nazis'“ | Colloquium Provenance Research

In Cooperation with CARMAH (Centre for Anthropological Research on Museums and Heritage) the German Lost Art Foundation invited to the book presentation "Kunst voor das Reich / Le trésor de guerre des nazis".

4. September 2024

Contact

Do you have any questions?

Do feel free to get in touch with us directly – whether at the Foundation’s headquarters in Magdeburg or at our branch office in Berlin.
See here for answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ)

German Lost Art Foundation

Humboldtstr. 12
39112 Magdeburg

Germany
Phone:  +49 (0) 391 727 763 0
E-mail:  kontakt@kulturgutverluste.de
Social:

German Lost Art Foundation Berlin Branch Office

Seydelstr. 18
10117 Berlin

Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 391 727 763 0
E-mail: kontakt@kulturgutverluste.de

The Help Desk offers advice and assistance to victims of the Nazi regime and their descendants on questions relating to Nazi theft of cultural property. Serving as a central and initial low-threshold point of contact in Germany, it is aimed in particular at people whose place of residence is outside Germany and who are unfamiliar with German procedures, especially in connection with cultural federalism. The Help Desk seeks to provide support in taking initial steps as well as providing further contacts and information. We will also be happy to help initiate discussions with museums and other institutions.

German Lost Art Foundation, Branch Office
Dr. Susanne Meyer-Abich
Head of Help Desk

Seydelstr. 18
10117 Berlin

Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 391 727 763 0
E-mail: helpdesk@kulturgutverluste.de

For a few decades the research on Nazi-looted art was neglected in Belgium. That’s the situation Geert Sels, journalist at the culture desk of the Belgian newspaper “De Standaard”, encountered when he started to do research after the Gurlitt affair. “To my embarrassment I found out that Belgium did not have databases, no restitution commission and neither conducted research – although the country had paintings in its museums that came back from Nazi-Germany.”

After eight years of research Sels wrote the book “Kunst voor das Reich” in which he thoroughly depicts the history of how the Nazis acquired art in Belgium. As a result, a lot of information came to the fore that is now available for further research. One of the conclusions is that the impact is not restricted to the Belgian borders. The book has been published in Dutch and French and now plays an important role in the public discourse.

Moderation: Stéphanie Baumewert

Kunst voor das Reich. Op zoek naar naziroofkunst uit België.
Geert Sels, Lannoo, 2022
EAN/ISBN: 9789401428743

Le trésor de guerre des nazis. Enquête sur le pillage d'art en Belgique.
Geert Sels, Racine, 2023
EAN/ ISBN: 9782390252184