June 30, 2009
Nazi art restitution bill likely to become law
Andrew Dismore’s bill to allow the return of items looted during the holocaust now looks as though it is likely to become law. I would question though whether the problem it deals with is the loophole that it is described as here – to my mind it was very deliberately created part of the regulations governing many museums – although now some of its side effects are becoming less palatable to the public.
From:
Artinfo
House of Commons OKs Restitution Bill on Nazi-Looted Art
Published: June 29, 2009LONDON—A British bill that, at least in theory, would help return artworks looted by the Nazis to their rightful owners has cleared the House of Commons and now goes to the House of Lords. Members of Parliament in the House say the measure is largely symbolic and may never be used, but they believe it still sends an important signal about correcting an injustice.
Andrew Dismore’s Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Bill will plug a legal loophole preventing restitution in some cases. The bill covers such institutions as the British Museum and the Imperial War Museum, and it allows the Spoliation Advisory Panel to assess whether a work of art was looted and then recommend to the culture secretary if it should be returned. According to Dismore, a Labour Member of Parliament, the best estimate is that there are about 20 looted items in U.K. museums, although there could be more.
- Nazi loot in UK set to be returned : July 13, 2009
- Parliamentary bill on Nazi-looted art : April 23, 2009
- Changing the law on looted artefacts : November 24, 2009
- Holocaust looted art bill will allow de-acessioning of some artefacts : November 29, 2009
- Holocaust (Stolen Art) Restitution Bill draft wording : May 8, 2009
- The Holocaust (stolen art) Restitution Bill : April 3, 2009
- Nazi looted artefacts in the UK can now return home : December 4, 2009
- New law to allow return of Nazi loot : April 2, 2009
DR. KWAME OPOKU said,
07.03.09 at 4:36 pm
“According to Dismore, a Labour Member of Parliament, the best estimate is that there are about 20 looted items in U.K. museums, although there could be more”.
Even if attention were confined to Nazi-loot, there should be more that twenty in UK museums.
There are definitely more than twenty looted items in U.K museums. In the British Museum alone there are many Benin Bronzes. If you add to this all the Ethiopian treasures and manuscripts, this museum alone has more than twenty. On the Ethiopian treasures that are in the British Museum, see Afromet http://www.afromet Ethiopian treasures are found at the following places in the United Kingdom: The British Library
The British Museum
Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Museum Halifax
Dundee University Museum
Edinburgh University Library
The John Rylands Uni Library
Lancaster Museum & Priory
National Archives of Scotland
The Schyen Collection
The Victoria & Albert Museum
Windsor Castle.
Add to this, all the Asante Regalia and other items in Victoria and Albert to the Ethiopian crosses and crowns the number can easily reach hundreds. Let the British Parliament undertake to tell us the facts the museums have been hiding: how many of their exhibits are looted or acquired under dubious circumstances?
Kwame Opoku.