Posted on: December 24, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
The Swiss Customs Authorities at the Basel Airport discovered the 47cm tall statue in an inconspicuous parcel that was sent from the UK to a private individual in Switzerland. They immediately informed the Specialised Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property at the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (‘Specialised Body’) of their discovery. The […]
Posted on: November 24, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
Alea iacta est… The decision in the Causa Gurlitt was highly anticipated. On Saturday, the board of trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts Bern (‘Museum’) decided to accept the bequest of the late Cornelius Gurlitt. This morning, the decision was publicly announced in a joint press meeting by the German government, the State of […]
Posted on: November 20, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
On 26th November, the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts Bern will decide whether to accept the bequest of Cornelius Gurlitt. Unexpectedly, one of Gurlitt’s two cousins, Uta Werner, has threatened to challenge the will. Her claim is based on a psychiatric report, which she had commissioned from Dr Helmut Hausner, chief physician at […]
Posted on: October 21, 2014 by Alexander Herman
A recent dispute has arisen over the sale of artworks, pitting the relatives of two Jewish victims of the Nazis against a Swiss foundation that has been laying claim to assets once owned by the couple. The convoluted saga has been recounted by the New York Times. It involves the extensive art collection of Berlin metals broker Norbert Levy, a collection which […]
Posted on: September 14, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
The dispute over the Swiss charitable foundation for art, culture and history (Stiftung für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte, ‘SKKG’) has taken a new turn. Bettina Stefanini, daughter of SKKG founder Bruno Stefanini has filed a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor against the Chairman and three other members of the board of trustees, but excluding […]
Posted on: September 12, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
The Swiss charitable foundation for art, culture and history (Stiftung für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte, ‘SKKG’) has become the subject of a major dispute. SKKG was established in 1980 by Bruno Stefanini, one of Switzerland’s biggest real estate magnates, with the aim of supporting and maintaining Western art in general and Swiss objects of artistic, […]
Posted on: September 11, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
In its September session, the legislative body of the Canton of Bern (Grosser Rat) debated the motion ‘No taxpayers’ money for the Gurlitt Collection’ submitted by the politician Samuel Leuenberger. The motion demands that the executive body of the Canton of Bern (Regierungsrat) must ensure that the Canton of Bern will not provide the Museum […]
Posted on: August 19, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
Switzerland aims to contribute to the preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind by means of the Cultural Property Transfer Act (‘CPTA‘), which implements the 1970 UNESCO Convention into national law. According to art. 14 CPTA, the Specialized Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property at the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (‘Specialized Body‘) […]
Posted on: August 4, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
The Facts In May 2014, the Specialized Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property at the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (‘Specialized Body‘) handed over 150 Roman coins to Serbia. The majority of these coins date from the 4th century A.D. and are made of bronze. Following their illegal excavation in Serbia, the coins were […]
Posted on: July 17, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
The Federal Act on the International Transfer of Cultural Property (Cultural Property Transfer Act, ‘CPTA’), which came into force on June 1st, 2005 and implemented the 1970 UNESCO Convention into Swiss law, aims at enhancing the protection of Swiss cultural heritage. Art. 3(1) CPTA calls for the establishment of a Federal Registry listing “cultural property […]