First check on Nazi-looted property at four Hessian museums in Bad Wildungen, Eschwege, Fulda and Reinheim
Dr. Saskia Johann
positionReferentin für Provenienzforschung
phone0561 7889 - 46697
emailsaskia.johann@museumsverband-hessen.de
The first check sought firstly to clarify the need for in-depth provenance research in individual museums in Hesse and secondly to help further expand provenance research in Hesse as a whole and raise awareness of the issue among other museums. For the pilot round, various institutions were selected which were founded prior to 1945, had legacy collections, and had not previously been in a position either financially or in terms of personnel to check their collections for Nazi-related confiscations. The museums are: the municipal museums Stadtmuseum Bad Wildungen and Stadtmuseum Eschwege, Vonderau Museum in Fulda, and the local history museum Heimatmuseum Reinheim.
The purpose of the first check was to identify suspicious provenances in the collections of these museums and search for items of cultural property acquired between 1933 and 1945 for which the provenance was unknown or unclear. In addition, research was carried out into donations, purchases and transfers of objects to the museums after 1945 where there was a suspicious or unclear provenance. A further focus was on other groups of victims of the Nazi regime such as Freemasons, forced labourers and political opponents.
In-depth provenance research is required at three of the museums and follow-up projects are planned. In one museum, no suspected cases at all were found.
© Hessischer Museumsverband e.V.