Systematische Provenienzforschung zu den Erwerbungen des Martin von Wagner-Museums (Neuere Abteilung) der Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg ab 1933

The project aims to systematically research the provenances of the works at the Art Gallery of the Martin von Wagner-Museum of the JMU, since several objects with suspicious biographies have been detected. On one hand, the provenances of ten works acquired between 1933 and 1945 by the museum that are still in the collection today are within the focus of the project. This research goes hand in hand with the reappraisal of the history of the 'aryanized' Würzburg art dealer Seligsberger. On the other hand, 57 objects from the painting collection, which were acquired between 1945 and 1998, are checked for their provenances. This limitation was carried out with the exclusion of objects that were delivered by the respective artists or their direct descendants. As soon as there are further suspicions about the biographies of other objects, these cases are dealt with immediately. Additionally, the currently littleknown history between 1933 and 1945 of the Martin von Wagner Museum, the oldest museum in Lower Franconia, is being researched as part of the project.

At the same time, the awareness of the significance of the University of Würzburg as a public research institution with its own collections and museums, where no systematic provenance re-search has taken place till the project started, is thus sustainably strengthened. This is done not only by research but also in teaching. The knowledge and experience gained in the course of this project is incorporated in various courses on research practice and methodology in the MA course "Collections - Provenance - Cultural Heritage" as well as in other art history and museological courses of study in the sense of training young scholars. In this regard, the allocation of corresponding topics for final theses is also planned.

(c) Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institut für deutsche Philologie