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The Allied Struggle over Cultural Restitution, 1942–1947

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 September 2010

Michael J. Kurtz
Michael J. Kurtz
Affiliation:
National Archives and Records Administration. Email: Michael.kurtz@nara.gov
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Abstract

This article discusses the Allied diplomatic and political impasse over restitution during and after World War II. The focus is on cultural restitution—the return of art, archives, and libraries looted by the Nazis. Serious Allied disagreements on general postwar policy for Germany inhibited the development of a coherent approach to the restitution of cultural property. Cultural restitution became lost in the maze of other greater political, economic, and ideological conflicts. Ultimately, the impasse was also fueled by the very complex issues involving cultural restitution itself. Issues including the scope of the entire effort, restitution in kind, returning property to refugees, and the fate of heirless Jewish property were intractable. The problems with cultural restitution reflected the clash of interests and ideologies. As a result, the four occupying powers had distinct approaches with radically differing results.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Cultural Property , Volume 17 , Issue 2: SPECIAL ISSUE: Spoils of War v. Cultural Heritage: The Russian Cultural Property Law in Historical Context , May 2010 , pp. 177 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © International Cultural Property Society 2010

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