Flanders sets up a standing committee for the return of Nazi looted art. The government decided this on Friday, reports Minister of Culture Caroline Gennez (Vooruit). The decision should ensure that there is a clear policy regarding works of art that may have been stolen by the German Nazi regime.
Remi Lehmann
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
The claims will now be investigated by a restitution committee. This will advise the Flemish government if complaints arise about works in its own collection. In addition, local authorities, private owners and heirs can also contact the committee. He will conduct an origin investigation and hear all parties involved.
The Flemish government is currently pursuing two claims for the restitution of possible Nazi looted art. These are three works of art from the KMSKA collection. These claims will also be handled by the refund committee.
The establishment is a result of the recommendations of the temporary committee on Nazi looted art that was set up last year.
The mass robbery of Jewish families was a deliberate strategy of the Nazis and an essential part of the Holocaust
Proactive
Flanders will also carry out proactive origin research. This was included in the Strategic Vision Paper on Arts and Heritage, which was approved by the government earlier this year. Flanders is releasing support for screening and research.
“The mass robbery of Jewish families was a deliberate strategy of the Nazis and an essential part of the Holocaust,” Gennez says. “Works of art that were stolen or forcibly sold before and during the Second World War must be returned to their rightful owners. After all these years, we in Flanders can finally start to correct this historical injustice.”
