Ermittlung der Provenienz von 28 Handzeichnungen des 16. bis 18. Jahrhunderts unter Verdacht auf NS-verfolgungsbedingten Entzug in der Lippischen Landesbibliothek

28 drawings dated from the 16th to the 18th century, allegedly made by Tintoretto, Correggio and other famous artists were recently found in the Lippische Landesbibliothek in Detmold. Librarians realized that they dont fit into the Graphic Collection and started to look into their provenance: The drawings were brought to the Lippische Landesbibliothek during or shortly after the Second World War when Eduard Wiegand was head librarian (1933-1945). Wiegand was a dedicated believer in Nazi-ideology and collected books and cultural artefacts, some of which were stolen from e.g. Jewish people or organisations, unions or other institutions.

Wiegands successor, Alfred Bergmann, knew that the drawings were of dubious provenance and reported them to the British military government. A British officer and an art historian assessed the drawings and came to the conclusion that they should be kept in the Lippische Landesbibliothek until the rightful owner(s) can be found. Bergmann tried to look into the provenance of the drawings with little success. He spoke to local experts. He came to the conclusion that they were looted objects, stolen from a museum or private collection either in France or the Netherlands.

In July 2023, the Lippische Landesbibliothek starts a research project that is looking into the provenance of the 28 drawings. The aim is to find out if the 28 drawings had been confiscated by the Nazis, how and why they were brought to the Lippische Landesbibliothek and if the pre-War owner(s), or their heirs, can be identified. If possible, steps will be taken to find a just and fair solution according to the Washinton Principles.

The project is subsidized by the Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste and supported by the Koordinationsstelle für Provenienzforschung in Nordrhein-Westfalen (KPF.NRW).

(c) Lippische Landesbibliothek