Conference on the return of art from Austrian federal museums and collections in New York, 4 and 5 March 2010, Austrian Cultural Forum New YorkNew York, 1 March 2010 - On the occasion of the art fairs taking place in New York every year during the first week of March, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York is organizing a two-day symposium on the return of art works and objects stolen during the Nazi era, in close cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture and the Israelite Religious Community in Vienna.
By adopting the 1998 Act on the Return of Art and its amendment in 2009, the Republic of Austria created the possibility of restituting art objects that were stolen during the Nazi era and can now be found in federal museums and collections, to their lawful owners or their descendants. The adoption of this law and its implementation are just one example of several measures introduced by the Republic of Austria in recent years. The return of stolen art objects, which began in 1998, is remarkable in an international comparison.
Experience from cooperation with the lawyers of former owners of art objects or their descendants in the USA has demonstrated the need for information with regard to the exact legal situation and the restitution laws in post-war Austria. This symposium aims to provide an opportunity to deal with the problems and issues attributable to different historical backgrounds and disparate legal systems.
The first day of the symposium is dedicated to American experts and lawyers dealing with this topic. The Austrian speakers, Dr. Christoph Bazil, of the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture, Professor Georg Graf of the Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies, Professor Michael John of the University of Linz, and Leonhard Weidinger of the MAK Museum of Applied Arts will describe the legal framework and the concrete measures.
On the second day, Dr. Christoph Bazil and Leonhard Weidinger will inform once displaced Austrians and their descendants on the activities and programs of the Republic of Austria.
The symposium is listed and recommended in the most important event calendars of New York’s art fairs, including Armory Fair and Pulse Fair.
Contact:
Austrian Cultural Forum New York, Tel.:+1-(212)-319 5300, Dr. Andreas Stadler, Director, andreas.stadler(at)bmeia.gv.at
Israelite Religious Community in Vienna, Tel.: +43-(01)-53104-102 oder +43-664-2012424,
Erika Jakubovits, Executive Director, e.jakubovits(at)ikg-wien.at
Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture, Tel.: +43-(01)-53120-5030,
Nikolaus Pelinka, Press Spokesman of the Minister, nikolaus.pelinka(at)bmukk.gv.at