Deposits Relocation of cultural property due to persecution and the consequences for Swiss museums

Change of date
The Deposita conference will be held on 9 and 10 September 2021 in the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern. The event, originally planned for March 2020, was postponed because of restrictions on events and travel related to COVID-19.

DEPOSITA
The measures of ostracism and expropriation imposed by the National Socialists in Germany were deliberately aimed at Jewish collectors and art dealers. Art owned by private individuals or businesses were often sold at a price below their value to art dealers, auction houses or museums. Many non-Jewish art dealers were involved in the sale of Jewish-owned artworks. The relocation abroad of Jewish-owned artworks or artworks from collections of modern art began immediately after the National Socialist accession to power.
Research into the Transfer of Cultural Artifacts into and via Switzerland, presented as the first volume of publications by the Independent Swiss Commission of Experts – World War II, are fundamental to provenance and collection research in Swiss museums. With this conference we would like to extend the representation of Switzerland as a holding area for looted goods and flight assets from Germany, Austria and the occupied territories by adding perspectives related to the history of institutions.
The contributions by the speakers address the issue of the relocations of artworks and cultural artifacts as a result of National Socialist persecution in the context of political, cultural and social developments. The situation of those persecuted in Germany and the institutional interests of Swiss museums are treated equally.
The contributions examine the museum as an agent in exchange with dealers, collectors and emigrants, and probe the interactions of fundamental political conditions and individual opportunities for action. How did relocations resulting from persecution and war take place? What was the relationship between museum and collectors? What long-term relevance did deposited collections have for the institutions in question?

KUNSTMUSEUM BERN – ZENTRUM PAUL KLEE
Since its acceptance of the Cornelius Gurlitt Bequest in November 2014 the Kunstmuseum Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee has been committed to lasting collection research and transparent treatment of its findings.

CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION
The event will be held in the auditorium of the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern. Contributors will speak on the spot. A maximum of 50 guests are permitted in the audience. The conference will also be accessible to the public as a live stream. Access to digital participation will be announced a few days before the event.
The programme remains subject to change as a result of the continuing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

REGISTRATION
Please register by 22 August 2021 by email to: 

Please let us know whether you will be physically present in the auditorium, or whether you would like to take part virtually. Seats in the auditorium will be assigned upon registration. If all seats are taken, we will automatically send you the link for virtual participation.

CONTACT
For questions relating to participation and the timetable of the event please contact:
Marie Kakinuma , M.A., 
Renato Moser, M.A., 

Deposits. Relocation of cultural property due to persecution and the consequences for Swiss museums

A conference by Kunstmuseum Bern and Zentrum Paul Klee Bern, 9. and 10. september 2021 Event location: Zentrum Paul Klee, Auditorium and direct stream

Thursday, 9. september 2021 14:00 to 18:00
14:00 – 14:30
Reception
Jonathan Gimmel, Präsident Dachstiftung Kunstmuseum Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee
Welcome speech
Nina Zimmer, Direktorin, Kunstmuseum Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee
Introduction
Fabienne Eggelhöfer und Nikola Doll, Kunstmuseum Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee

CONTAINMENT AND EXCLUSION

Moderation: Katharina Otterbach, M.A., Kunstmuseum Bern

14:30 – 15:15
TITEL FOLGT
Meike Hopp, Technische Universität Berlin

Coffee break

15:30 – 16:15
Kunsthandel im Kontext. Die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen in der Schweiz während der NS-Herrschaft.
Ass. Prof. Dr. Stefanie Mahrer, Historisches Institut, Universität Bern.

16:15 – 16:45
„To Zürich we presume“. Spuren der Münchner Antiquarsfamilie Rosenthal im Schweizer Exil
Franziska Eschenbach, M.A., München

16:45 – 17:15
Choisir le musée. Questionner le rôle historique des depôts des oeuvres spoliées au sein des musées
Margaux Dumas, M.A., Paris

17:15 – 17:40
Q&A session and discussion

Freitag, 10. September 2021

II INSTITUTIONS

Freitag, 10. September 2021, 9:30 to 12:15

Moderation: Moritz Anliker, M.A., Kunstmuseum Bern

09:30 – 10:00
Depositen im Kunstmuseum Basel – Fallbeispiele aus der Praxis vor dem Hintergrund kritischer Quellenauswertung
Vanessa von Kolpinski, M.A., Basel

10:00 – 10:30
Kunstmuseum Sankt Gallen, eingelagerte jüdische Sammlungen
Samuel Reller, Kunstmuseum Sankt Gallen

Pause

11:00 – 11:30
Die Ausstellung «Französische Malerei des 19. Jahrhunderts» 1933 im Kunsthaus Zürich und ihre internationalen Leihgeber. Eine Fallstudie der Kulturgüterverlagerung in die Schweiz
Joachim Sieber, M.A., Kunsthaus Zürich

11:30 – 12:00
Deposita im Kunstmuseum Bern
Renato Moser, M.A., Kunstmuseum Bern

12:00 – 12:15
Q&A session and discussion

12:15 – 13:30
Lunch break

III DEPOSITÄRE

Freitag, 10. September 2021, 13:30 to 16:45

Moderation: Kai-Inga Dost, M.A., Zentrum Paul Klee

13:30 – 14:00
Nell Walden – Eduard von der Heydt
Marie Kukinuma, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern

14:00 – 14:30
Carl Sachs, Breslau
Dr. Tessa Rosebrock, Kunstmuseum Basel

14:30 – 15:00
Die Kunstsammlung Hugo Simon in der Schweiz
Dr. Katja Terlau, Köln / Hamburg

Coffee Break

15:15 – 15:45
Die Sammlung Wilhelm Graf Kielmannsegg und ihr Weg nach Basel
Nina Senger, M.A., Berlin

15:45 – 16:15
Deposita in Winterthur und Zürich: Ein Vergleich der Aufnahme der Sammlung Julius Freund (1933-1942) und der Teilsammlung Bruno Cassirer (ab 1933)
Nathalie Neumann, M.A., Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz

16:15 – 16:30
Q&A session and discussion

16:30
Conference closing