Updated guidelines for the police force and the judiciary regarding the protection of cultural property
The guidelines contain concrete advice on initiating and conducting criminal proceedings in Germany as well as information about international legal assistance and administrative restitution proceedings. They also provide a breakdown of information channels along with details of which people need to be involved and contacts at the responsible bodies.
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth said that close cooperation between the relevant cultural, investigative and judicial authorities was crucial in order to protect cultural property effectively and in particular to ensure successful restitution practice. More than anything, she said, this included direct dialogue between the authorities and also a sound knowledge of the relevant legal framework and jurisdictions, in particular so as to be able to involve locally organised public prosecution offices early on in the process.
The guidelines on the protection of cultural property were published for the first time in 2010. They have now been adapted to the current legal situation, in particular following the 2016 amendment of the law on the protection of cultural property.
The guidelines are available at: www.kulturgutschutz-deutschland.de