Amendment to the funding guidelines of the German Lost Art Foundation

As of 2 January 2024, modified conditions will apply to project funding in the area of Nazi-looted property and cultural goods and collections from colonial contexts.

2. January 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

By resolution of its Foundation Board, the German Lost Art Foundation is amending its Funding Guideline for Provence Research (regarding cultural property expropriated as a result of Nazi persecution) and its Funding Guideline for Provenance Research Projects on Collections from Colonial Contexts with effect from 2 January 2024.

The Funding Guideline for Provence Research (regarding cultural property expropriated as a result of Nazi persecution) is amended as follows:

The maximum funding amount for short-term projects has been increased to EUR 40,000 (previously EUR 25,000), due to general price and wage increases. This short-term funding can be used for research into individual cases (e.g. requests for information or restitution), for first checks, and for the tracing of heirs.

The application deadlines (previously 1 January and 1 June) have been altered to ensure even more effective planning of research projects: proposals for long-term funding can now be submitted by 1 April and by 1 October of each year.

On the subject of referrals to the Advisory Commission, it is expressly stipulated that within three years of the end of the funding period, an institution funded by the Foundation must immediately agree to a such a request for mediation by the Commission with regard to the cultural property being investigated in the project.

The Funding Guideline for Provenance Research Projects on Collections from Colonial Contexts is amended as follows:

The maximum funding amount for short-term projects has been increased to EUR 40,000 (previously EUR 25,000) due to general price and wage increases. This short-term funding can also be used to undertake research in response to individual search requests.

The Funding Guideline currently stipulates a maximum project duration of 24 months for first-time proposals. In the case of basic research projects or collaborative projects, an initial maximum duration of 36 months is now also possible in order to ensure planning reliability.

The proposal submission deadlines (previously 1 January and 1 June) have also been adjusted in the funding area “Cultural Goods and Collections from Colonial Contexts”: this year, new proposals for longer-term projects can be submitted by 1 October 2024, and in subsequent years by 1 April or by 1 October of the year in question.