Online event on information, advice and funding on collections from colonial contexts in Germany

Invitation - Online event on information, advice and funding on collections from colonial contexts in Germany:

The German Contact Point for Collections from Colonial Contexts at the Cultural Foundation of the German Federal States and the Department for Cultural Goods and Collections from Colonial Contexts of the German Lost Art Foundation will present its activities and funding opportunities at an online event

on Thursday, 6th November 2025 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (UTC+2:00).

Established in 2020, the German Contact Point for Collections from Colonial Contexts serves as the first point of contact for all inquiries relating to cultural heritage or human remains from colonial contexts in Germany. It was founded jointly by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office for International Cultural Policy, the Cultural Affairs Ministers of the German States, the Senators for Cultural Affairs, and representatives of the municipal umbrella organisations.

The Contact Point primarily addresses individuals and institutions from the countries and societies of origin, offering them guidance, connections, and support. Its work focuses on fostering transparency, collaboration, and dialogue.

Key tasks and services include:

Providing information and advice on collections from colonial contexts in Germany and related issues

• Forwarding inquiries and requests to relevant institutions and authorities on a case-by-case basis
• Connecting individuals and institutions, building and strengthening international networks
• Collecting, documenting, and analysing relevant data and making it publicly accessible

At this event, the Contact Point will present its ongoing work and outline how it supports communities and countries of origin.

The Department for Cultural Goods and Collections from Colonial Contexts will provide information about the various funding opportunities, among others: 

• International collaborative and co-operation projects 
• Cross-institutional projects on collections, regions, actors or other contexts 
• Projects for the cataloguing and analysis of source material of central importance for provenance research
• search requests for the location of ancestral remains and/or cultural heritage artefacts

The German Lost Art Foundation was established as a civil-law foundation by the German federal and state governments and leading municipal associations on 1st January 2015. It is a national and international contact partner for all matters pertaining to the illegal seizure of cultural goods in Germany. The main activities focus on cultural assets confiscated by the National Socialists through persecution. As of April 2018, the Foundation is also active in the field of cultural goods and collections from colonial contexts. Since 2019 some 90 projects looking into the provenance of museum collections have been awarded funding, many of which are international collaborative projects.

The funding is aimed at institutions collecting, preserving or researching cultural goods and collections from colonial contexts. These include museums, universities and other research institutions. The funding explicitly aims to strengthen international cooperation and intensify exchange with regions and communities of origin.

If you are interested to attend, please register for the event with Anna Wickes-Neira (anna.wickes-neira@kulturgutverluste.de) by Monday 3th November 2025. We will send you an email with the registration information shortly before the event.

The German Contact Point for Collections from Colonial Contexts and the Department for Cultural Goods and Collections from Colonial Contexts are looking forward to sharing ideas and information with you!