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Germany: From museum to auction house

March 19, 2013

Many museums in eastern Germany face an uncertain future. They have to return exhibits to their former owners. A 20-year time limit on returning art objects expropriated by communist East Germany is running out.

https://p.dw.com/p/180CI
Das im Bau befindliche Residenzschloss (l-r) mit dem Hausmannsturm und einem Teil der Hofkirche zeichnet sich am 28.12.2012 vor blauem Himmel ab. Barock bis Gegenwart: Zwischen Goya und Richter, Wagner und Wols, Europa und Amerika bewegt sich das Ausstellungsjahr 2013 in Sachsens großen Kunstmuseen. In mehr als 20 Präsentationen geben das Museum der bildenden Künste zu Leipzig, die Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz und die Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) nicht nur Einblick in ihre Bestände. Foto: Arno Burgi/dpa
Image: picture-alliance/ZB

After the Second World War, illegal trade in art was rife, at least in eastern Germany. In communist East Germany private collectors and aristocrats in particular were systematically dispossessed. The public collections have now had two decades to come to agreements with the artworks' former owners. Where that has not been possible, auction houses now have cause to rejoice.

Jörg Oettermann und Andreas Blankenstein beladen den Kunsttransporter Bild: Matthias Mayr
Image: DW