Art Collection Ethics
@uofdenver-ace.bsky.social
Promoting ethical art stewardship through digital information and training at the University of Denver.
A 1917–18 watercolor self-portrait by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner has been restituted to the heirs of Ludwig & Rosy Fischer, persecuted by the Nazis. The family donated it to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, joining the Fischer Collection.
🔗 buff.ly/1tDErQX
🔗 buff.ly/1tDErQX
November 17, 2025 at 8:15 AM
A 1917–18 watercolor self-portrait by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner has been restituted to the heirs of Ludwig & Rosy Fischer, persecuted by the Nazis. The family donated it to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, joining the Fischer Collection.
🔗 buff.ly/1tDErQX
🔗 buff.ly/1tDErQX
Heirs of Hedwig & Frederick Stern are suing the Met and a Greek foundation over Van Gogh’s Olive Picking, sold after the family fled Nazi Germany. They say the Met should’ve known its Nazi-tainted past. The Met denies wrongdoing.
🔗 buff.ly/vngtMMO
🔗 buff.ly/vngtMMO
November 14, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Heirs of Hedwig & Frederick Stern are suing the Met and a Greek foundation over Van Gogh’s Olive Picking, sold after the family fled Nazi Germany. They say the Met should’ve known its Nazi-tainted past. The Met denies wrongdoing.
🔗 buff.ly/vngtMMO
🔗 buff.ly/vngtMMO
In a historic move, Boston’s MFA has returned two 1857 ceramic jars by enslaved potter David Drake to his descendants—the first U.S. restitution of art made under slavery. The deal, modeled on Nazi-loot cases, could set a major precedent.
🔗 buff.ly/3AMPGJr
🔗 buff.ly/3AMPGJr
November 12, 2025 at 5:16 PM
In a historic move, Boston’s MFA has returned two 1857 ceramic jars by enslaved potter David Drake to his descendants—the first U.S. restitution of art made under slavery. The deal, modeled on Nazi-loot cases, could set a major precedent.
🔗 buff.ly/3AMPGJr
🔗 buff.ly/3AMPGJr
A guerrilla AR show, Encoded, by Amplifier, inserts works by 17 Indigenous artists into NYC’s Met, remixing classics like Washington Crossing the Delaware through Native perspectives. It challenges erasure and calls for visibility in colonial museum spaces.
🔗 buff.ly/DBfgByC
🔗 buff.ly/DBfgByC
November 10, 2025 at 8:15 AM
A guerrilla AR show, Encoded, by Amplifier, inserts works by 17 Indigenous artists into NYC’s Met, remixing classics like Washington Crossing the Delaware through Native perspectives. It challenges erasure and calls for visibility in colonial museum spaces.
🔗 buff.ly/DBfgByC
🔗 buff.ly/DBfgByC
The return of the Benin bronzes shows how restitution can spark new disputes. In Nigeria, rival claims between the government, Edo State, and the Oba of Benin have left many artefacts in limbo—while replicas fill museum displays. Moral returns rarely end cleanly.
🔗 buff.ly/SCKsdPw
🔗 buff.ly/SCKsdPw
November 7, 2025 at 8:15 AM
The return of the Benin bronzes shows how restitution can spark new disputes. In Nigeria, rival claims between the government, Edo State, and the Oba of Benin have left many artefacts in limbo—while replicas fill museum displays. Moral returns rarely end cleanly.
🔗 buff.ly/SCKsdPw
🔗 buff.ly/SCKsdPw
The The National Gallery of Victoria returned Gerard ter Borch’s "Lady with a Fan" to heirs of a Jewish family looted during the Nazi era-but only after the update appeared in Germany’s Lost Art Database. Researcher Schulman praised the restitution & criticized the museum’s secrecy
buff.ly/aihDSTW
buff.ly/aihDSTW
November 5, 2025 at 8:15 AM
The The National Gallery of Victoria returned Gerard ter Borch’s "Lady with a Fan" to heirs of a Jewish family looted during the Nazi era-but only after the update appeared in Germany’s Lost Art Database. Researcher Schulman praised the restitution & criticized the museum’s secrecy
buff.ly/aihDSTW
buff.ly/aihDSTW
ICYMI: France will return the Djidji Ayôkwé, a sacred talking drum taken from Côte d’Ivoire in 1916, to the Ebrié people. Once a unifying voice, its repatriation is seen as a step toward healing and national unity.
buff.ly/kjBMJk8
buff.ly/kjBMJk8
October 31, 2025 at 8:15 AM
ICYMI: France will return the Djidji Ayôkwé, a sacred talking drum taken from Côte d’Ivoire in 1916, to the Ebrié people. Once a unifying voice, its repatriation is seen as a step toward healing and national unity.
buff.ly/kjBMJk8
buff.ly/kjBMJk8
A long-lost Stradivarius, stolen from the Mendelssohn-Bohnke family in WWII, has resurfaced after 80 years. Experts say the “Stella” violin is the same one; its current owner disputes the claim. For the family, it’s more than priceless—it’s identity.https://buff.ly/yvw0aRX
October 29, 2025 at 8:15 AM
A long-lost Stradivarius, stolen from the Mendelssohn-Bohnke family in WWII, has resurfaced after 80 years. Experts say the “Stella” violin is the same one; its current owner disputes the claim. For the family, it’s more than priceless—it’s identity.https://buff.ly/yvw0aRX
Cultural heritage isn’t just about the past—it sustains identity and resilience in war, disaster, and displacement. As Morag M. Kersel notes, attacks on heritage, like in Ukraine, are attacks on communities themselves.
buff.ly/B0qEnKx
buff.ly/B0qEnKx
October 27, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Cultural heritage isn’t just about the past—it sustains identity and resilience in war, disaster, and displacement. As Morag M. Kersel notes, attacks on heritage, like in Ukraine, are attacks on communities themselves.
buff.ly/B0qEnKx
buff.ly/B0qEnKx
Germany will launch a new Arbitration Court for Nazi-looted art in Dec 2025, replacing the current advisory panel. The tribunal will issue binding rulings and ease evidence rules to aid restitution. Some groups hail it as progress—others voice concern.
buff.ly/iOf0bxm
buff.ly/iOf0bxm
October 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Germany will launch a new Arbitration Court for Nazi-looted art in Dec 2025, replacing the current advisory panel. The tribunal will issue binding rulings and ease evidence rules to aid restitution. Some groups hail it as progress—others voice concern.
buff.ly/iOf0bxm
buff.ly/iOf0bxm
Leaders of Ecuador’s Shuar community are renewing calls for Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum to return its tsantsas (shrunken heads), collected 1884-1936. Removed from display in 2020, the items remain at the center of ongoing repatriation talks
buff.ly/qKyunZR
buff.ly/qKyunZR
October 22, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Leaders of Ecuador’s Shuar community are renewing calls for Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum to return its tsantsas (shrunken heads), collected 1884-1936. Removed from display in 2020, the items remain at the center of ongoing repatriation talks
buff.ly/qKyunZR
buff.ly/qKyunZR
An Ohio auction house stopped the sale of two 17th-century paintings after a tip linked them to Jewish collector Adolphe Schloss, whose art was looted by the Nazis. The Monuments Men and Women Foundation is now helping return the works to Schloss’s heirs.
Read more: buff.ly/bUTkKUM
Read more: buff.ly/bUTkKUM
October 15, 2025 at 7:15 AM
An Ohio auction house stopped the sale of two 17th-century paintings after a tip linked them to Jewish collector Adolphe Schloss, whose art was looted by the Nazis. The Monuments Men and Women Foundation is now helping return the works to Schloss’s heirs.
Read more: buff.ly/bUTkKUM
Read more: buff.ly/bUTkKUM
Student Assistant Isabelle Monyak examines the 2024 NAGPRA updates and their impact on museums—from closing loopholes to shifting the burden of proof. The changes mark progress but raise new challenges. Read full blog in bio. Photo: U.S. National Park Service
October 13, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Student Assistant Isabelle Monyak examines the 2024 NAGPRA updates and their impact on museums—from closing loopholes to shifting the burden of proof. The changes mark progress but raise new challenges. Read full blog in bio. Photo: U.S. National Park Service
A new report says U.S. museums aren’t doing enough to make info on Nazi-looted art public. After a key database closed in 2024, only ~10,600 works are still searchable. The group urges renewed transparency and adherence to the 1998 Washington Principles
buff.ly/LksQcVX
buff.ly/LksQcVX
October 10, 2025 at 7:15 AM
A new report says U.S. museums aren’t doing enough to make info on Nazi-looted art public. After a key database closed in 2024, only ~10,600 works are still searchable. The group urges renewed transparency and adherence to the 1998 Washington Principles
buff.ly/LksQcVX
buff.ly/LksQcVX
NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the World Jewish Restitution Organization are urging museums to back the 2025 HEAR Act, after reports some, including the Met, opposed it. The bill would extend Nazi-looted art claims beyond 2026, but museum directors warn it could spark more lawsuits.
buff.ly/DvXal14
buff.ly/DvXal14
October 8, 2025 at 7:15 AM
NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the World Jewish Restitution Organization are urging museums to back the 2025 HEAR Act, after reports some, including the Met, opposed it. The bill would extend Nazi-looted art claims beyond 2026, but museum directors warn it could spark more lawsuits.
buff.ly/DvXal14
buff.ly/DvXal14
New report from the Holocaust Art Recovery Initiative exposes Hungary’s 1944 state-run plunder of Jewish cultural property. Based on 90,000 pages of records, it traces stolen art into museums and calls for restitution.
Read full story: buff.ly/Q2Ra17a
Read full story: buff.ly/Q2Ra17a
October 6, 2025 at 9:15 AM
New report from the Holocaust Art Recovery Initiative exposes Hungary’s 1944 state-run plunder of Jewish cultural property. Based on 90,000 pages of records, it traces stolen art into museums and calls for restitution.
Read full story: buff.ly/Q2Ra17a
Read full story: buff.ly/Q2Ra17a
Heirs of Jewish banker Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy appeal a U.S. court ruling that dismissed their claim to Van Gogh’s 'Sunflowers' ($250M), now owned by Japan’s Sompo. They say it was sold under Nazi duress; Sompo argues the sale was voluntary. Court ruling pending
buff.ly/oM0R82y
buff.ly/oM0R82y
October 3, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Heirs of Jewish banker Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy appeal a U.S. court ruling that dismissed their claim to Van Gogh’s 'Sunflowers' ($250M), now owned by Japan’s Sompo. They say it was sold under Nazi duress; Sompo argues the sale was voluntary. Court ruling pending
buff.ly/oM0R82y
buff.ly/oM0R82y
The Belgian House of Representatives has returned Friedrich Nerly’s "Basilica SS Giovanni e Paolo in Venice" to the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz after research revealed it had gone missing from Berlin during World War II.
buff.ly/Awijmco
buff.ly/Awijmco
October 1, 2025 at 7:11 AM
The Belgian House of Representatives has returned Friedrich Nerly’s "Basilica SS Giovanni e Paolo in Venice" to the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz after research revealed it had gone missing from Berlin during World War II.
buff.ly/Awijmco
buff.ly/Awijmco
In Peru, the new ICOM museum definition has been translated into Quechua, Aymara & Amazonian languages, reaching communities where “museum” has no direct meaning. Shared via brochures, it sparks dialogue on heritage & identity and as praised as a model for inclusive memory.
buff.ly/XOvsQFc
buff.ly/XOvsQFc
September 26, 2025 at 7:15 AM
In Peru, the new ICOM museum definition has been translated into Quechua, Aymara & Amazonian languages, reaching communities where “museum” has no direct meaning. Shared via brochures, it sparks dialogue on heritage & identity and as praised as a model for inclusive memory.
buff.ly/XOvsQFc
buff.ly/XOvsQFc
France has returned the skulls of 3 Sakalava leaders, possibly King Toera, executed in the 1897 conquest of Madagascar. The first repatriation under a new French law was hailed as historical justice. The skulls will tour Madagascar before burial in Bora
Read full story: buff.ly/nL0N9qh
Read full story: buff.ly/nL0N9qh
September 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM
France has returned the skulls of 3 Sakalava leaders, possibly King Toera, executed in the 1897 conquest of Madagascar. The first repatriation under a new French law was hailed as historical justice. The skulls will tour Madagascar before burial in Bora
Read full story: buff.ly/nL0N9qh
Read full story: buff.ly/nL0N9qh
Bénédicte Savoy, a prominent voice in the movement to repatriate African art, has been appointed the next “Chaire du Louvre” at the Louvre Museum - a decision that underscores France’s shifting stance on the restitution of artworks taken during the colonial period.
Read story:
buff.ly/eO03qOJ.
Read story:
buff.ly/eO03qOJ.
September 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Bénédicte Savoy, a prominent voice in the movement to repatriate African art, has been appointed the next “Chaire du Louvre” at the Louvre Museum - a decision that underscores France’s shifting stance on the restitution of artworks taken during the colonial period.
Read story:
buff.ly/eO03qOJ.
Read story:
buff.ly/eO03qOJ.
A stolen 16th-century colonial manuscript was returned to Paraguay after resurfacing in NYC. Traced by the DA’s Antiquities Unit, the case underscores the need for provenance transparency.
buff.ly/nkWMrwt
buff.ly/nkWMrwt
August 13, 2025 at 7:07 AM
A stolen 16th-century colonial manuscript was returned to Paraguay after resurfacing in NYC. Traced by the DA’s Antiquities Unit, the case underscores the need for provenance transparency.
buff.ly/nkWMrwt
buff.ly/nkWMrwt
The Met is returning three Mesopotamian artifacts to Iraq, tied to trafficker Robin Symes. Valued at $500K, the repatriation reflects ethical collecting and efforts to preserve Iraq’s heritage.
buff.ly/XLEozbl
buff.ly/XLEozbl
August 6, 2025 at 7:07 AM
The Met is returning three Mesopotamian artifacts to Iraq, tied to trafficker Robin Symes. Valued at $500K, the repatriation reflects ethical collecting and efforts to preserve Iraq’s heritage.
buff.ly/XLEozbl
buff.ly/XLEozbl
Oklahoma’s Sam Noble and Gilcrease Museums are advancing NAGPRA efforts, working to return 1,600+ ancestors and items. Updated rules and tribal collaboration guide repatriation and ongoing consultations.
buff.ly/ALvcmG4
buff.ly/ALvcmG4
July 30, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Oklahoma’s Sam Noble and Gilcrease Museums are advancing NAGPRA efforts, working to return 1,600+ ancestors and items. Updated rules and tribal collaboration guide repatriation and ongoing consultations.
buff.ly/ALvcmG4
buff.ly/ALvcmG4
South Korea’s “Unlock Korea’s Treasures” tour invites foreign creators to explore UNESCO sites from June–Nov, promoting cultural heritage through immersive visits and shared online content.
buff.ly/2TytR52
buff.ly/2TytR52
July 23, 2025 at 7:07 AM
South Korea’s “Unlock Korea’s Treasures” tour invites foreign creators to explore UNESCO sites from June–Nov, promoting cultural heritage through immersive visits and shared online content.
buff.ly/2TytR52
buff.ly/2TytR52