Off to the museum
The National Socialists robbed millions of people. The victims included Jews in particular, but also other population groups who were persecuted and disenfranchised for ideological reasons. The Nazi looting of art, from which museums and libraries also profited, is only a fraction of this. The state, institutions and private individuals enriched themselves from the property of the persecuted. The process of coming to terms with these crimes has still not been completed. The names and stories of those affected are often forgotten today.
Public cultural institutions in Germany, such as museums, not only have a moral obligation, but also a responsibility to search their collections for art and cultural artefacts that were confiscated as a result of persecution. Provenance research is carried out for this purpose, i.e. researching the origin of objects. For works that are in the collection due to the persecution of their owners, just and fair solutions are sought with the heirs.
The project „Art, Looting and Restitution - Forgotten Life Stories“ remembers the persecuted people. We continue to tell their stories to the present day by including cases of restitution and the voices of descendants.
On this basis, we are now increasingly working with young people in the museum. We are developing and testing various programmes in which we deal with the personal stories of persecuted people, especially Jews.It's about topics such as persecution, flight, loss, identity and justice. We meet descendants, work creatively, exchange ideas and reflect on the importance of active remembrance.
If you are interested in taking part, then look here for offers in Berlin, Dresden or other places in Saxony that can be booked by teachers or other people.
