Rathausausstellung 2026 - Tafel 33: Zurückgeben | Town-hall Exhibition 2026 - Panel 33: Restitution

Looted cultural objects in Hamburg museums and libraries Under the Nazi regime, Hamburg museums enriched their collections in many ways with the property of those persecuted by the Nazis. to this day, looted items remain in their possession, most of them from Jewish estates. After the war, survivors and the families of those murdered were able to apply to have their property returned. the application deadline ended in 1958. Forty-one years later, under the provisions of the Washington Declaration, the german government made a commitment to tracing and returning ‘cultural property plundered and confiscated as a result of Nazi persecution’. Since then, several museums in Hamburg, the Kunsthalle, and the State Library have been reviewing the provenance of items in their collections. After investigating individual items, they return stolen objects to the descendants of those who were persecuted.