The Destruction of Cultural Memory: The Theft and Return of Artworks Stolen During the Holocaust

Cultural heritage has long been destroyed and looted as a part of armed conflict and as a way of erasing the cultural memory of victims. The theft and destruction perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II is perhaps the most extreme example of attempting to erase the cultural memory of Europe's Jews. Some 75 years after the war’s end, survivors and their descendants are still attempting to recover artworks and other cultural objects stolen from them by Nazis. This lecture will focus on those efforts, relevant court decisions, ongoing litigation, and legal principles that have resulted in both successes and failures.

Speaker
Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Research Professor of Law, Director of the Center for Art, Museum and Cultural Heritage Law, DePaul University

Host
Vedder Price

Chairs
Adam Docks
Charles Edwards
Alvin Katz
Robert Shapiro

Reservations are required. For more information, please contact the Museum’s Midwest Regional Office at midwest@ushmm.org.

This will be a virtual, event rather than an in-person meeting. The Midwest Office will provide a link one day before the program.