Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste

The Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste, founded on January 1, 2015, is a legally capable foundation under civil law based in Magdeburg. It serves as a central point of contact for questions regarding the unlawful removal of cultural property, particularly in the context of National Socialism, World War II, and the Soviet occupation as well as the German Democratic Republic (DDR).

Key Products and Services

Provenance Research: The center promotes systematic investigations and research projects in public and private cultural property preserving institutions such as museums, libraries, and archives. It supports the identification and documentation of cultural property that was removed due to National Socialist persecution, wartime actions, or state measures in the SBZ and DDR[2][3][4].
Databases: The center operates the databases "Proveana" and "Lost Art", which collect and make publicly accessible search and recovery reports of lost cultural property. These databases serve researchers, victims of cultural property removals and their descendants, as well as the interested public[2][4].
Promotion of Research Projects: It provides financial grants for projects that deal with Nazi looted art, war-related cultural property loss, and cultural property removals in the SBZ and DDR. Since 2019, projects in colonial contexts have also been supported[3][4].

Main Mission and Values

The main mission of the Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste is to strengthen provenance research and find just and fair solutions for the return of unlawfully removed cultural property. This is done in accordance with the Washington Principles of 1998 and the Joint Declaration of 1999. The center is committed to historical and moral self-commitment to compensate the victims of National Socialist persecution and other forms of cultural property removals[1][3][4].

Sustainability Goals and Initiatives

Long-term Research and Documentation: The center is dedicated to the long-term and systematic research and documentation of cultural property losses. It promotes projects that can run for up to 36 months to enable comprehensive and detailed investigations[3][4].
International Cooperation: By operating the databases and promoting internationally relevant research projects, the center works beyond national borders to strengthen global exchange and collaboration in provenance research[2][4].
Public Accessibility: The results of the research projects and the databases are publicly accessible to promote transparency and education about cultural property losses[2][4].

The Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste is thus a central actor in the processing and management of cultural property losses and advocates for justice, transparency, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

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