Intercultural Days: Stolen Books, looted Art - Insights into Provenance Research in Dresden
There is no museum without a piece of art, and no library without a book. But how do the exhibits actually end up in the collection? While in many cases the origin is known and documented, there are gaps and inconsistencies in some of them. Provenance research focuses on the history and owners of such cultural objects - from their creation to their current location. The artworks often find their way into the collection through sales, donations, but also through expropriations. Provenance research also touches on sensitive political, moral, and legal aspects - namely, in the case of objects that were looted, extorted, or seized from their owners, such as cultural objects seized as a result of Nazi persecution.
Like many cultural institutions around the world, the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) and the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB) check their collections for objects with an unclear or dubious origin. The researchers use various features such as stamps, stickers, or entries in inventory lists to trace the origin of artworks and books and reconstruct their biography.
As part of the Intercultural Days, provenance researchers from the SKD and the SLUB will highlight selected cases of how they trace the origin of objects. How do they proceed in their work? What are the consequences of their findings? What is the best way to reunite the artwork and its owner? What role do databases play? The lectures will take place on October 4, 2023 at 6:30 pm in the COSMO Science Forum at the Dresden Kulturpalast. Afterwards, the audience will have the opportunity to ask the researchers questions and have discussions together.
A joint event of TU Dresden and SLUB with the kind support of Dresden State Art Collection.