Restitution-Art

Database application Restitution-Art is a list of works of art belonging to the state collections of the Czech Republic that were once owned, or are deemed to have been owned by  Holocaust victims; the original owners mostly perished under Nazi terror. The application was prepared by the Czech Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Department for IT of the Moravian Museum at the end of 2000. Since the birth of the Methodological Centre CITeM the maintenance of the application and its updating has been within its competence.

In compliance with the decision of the Mixed Working Committee, the Centre for the documentation of property assignments of WWII victims’ cultural assets was founded on 1 November 2001. The Centre works on unveiling the historical and economic circumstances of the Aryzation of Jewish property (particularly of artistic character). The Centre belongs to the scientific branch of the Czech Academy of Sciences and operates within the Institute of Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

At the same time, the Centre conducts substantial heuristic research in the Czech and foreign archives and surveys accession catalogues and inventory books in individual museums and galleries. On the basis of this survey, it prepares for museums and galleries lists of works of art deemed to have been possesed by Holocaust victims. Museums and galleries then prepare the documentation for the registration of the works of art in the database Restitution-Art and CITeM will be in charge of subsequent addition or updating.

If  you are in need of adding or updating the data in Restitution-Art, please contact us.