Photos as a pillar of provenance research: expert conference

The importance of photographs for provenance research is to be highlighted at the annual conference of the German Lost Art Foundation (Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste). According to the information provided, the focus will be on how private snapshots or photos from administrative files, for example, can provide valuable information about art collections seized during the Nazi era. Around 180 participants are taking part in the two-day conference at Leipzig University Library.

The conference announcement states that photographs are important sources for identifying Nazi-looted property in historical living spaces or assigning collections from colonial contexts. However, they could also be the subject of looting and confiscation themselves. "Photographs from the archives of museums, government offices or photographers can point the way to missing possessions - but can also lead us on the wrong track if we don't look at them critically enough."

The German Lost Art Foundation was founded in Magdeburg at the beginning of 2015. Since then, it has been the central point of contact for questions relating to unlawfully confiscated cultural assets. It is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The main focus of the center is on cultural property seized as a result of persecution under National Socialism, in particular Jewish property.