Dispute over the Hohenzollern heritage included

Thousands of art treasures from the former Kaiserhaus Hohenzollern remain in the long run in museums in Berlin and Brandenburg. After an almost 100 years of dispute, the descendants of the last German emperor agreed with the federal government and the two federal states. This was announced by the new Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimer in Berlin.

« This agreement is a huge success for the cultural location of Germany and the public -interested public, » said Weimer. « For a hundred years there was ongoing uncertainty about objects that are central to the history of art and collection of Prussia and thus German history as a whole. » After trusting conversations, there is now a breakthrough.

It’s about art treasures, ivory furniture and table service

It is about art treasures such as the portrait of Elector Joachim I. von Brandenburg of Lucas Cranach the older one, the baroque ivory furniture of the great elector from the possession of Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen or the table service for the Breslau city palace acquired by Friedrich II in 1750. A total of 27,000 pieces should be, like that Daily mirror reported. Rights and ownership claims have been argued since 1926.

The prehistory: With the proclamation of the Weimar Republic and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the monarchy in Germany ended in 1918. The assets of the Hohenzollern was confiscated. In 1926, an asset regulation between the then state of Prussia and the Hohenzollern was hit by the contract. Nevertheless, legal uncertainty remained.

The Hohenzollern house had raised demands on thousands of works of art

The Hohenzollern house – boss is Georg Friedrich Prinz von Prussia as a great -grandchildren of the last German Emperor Wilhelm II – raised claims to thousands of works of art that are today in museums. The Hohenzollern house negotiated with the federal government and the two federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg since 2014.

In addition, the Hohenzollern also called for compensation for expropriated castles and inventory in the millions. While there were legal proceedings, the negotiations stopped. However, corresponding lawsuits were withdrawn in 2023. When the processes were ended or cleared, talks started again in autumn 2024.

The solution consists in a transfer to a joint foundation

According to Weimers, the solution is that all objects are transferred to a common non -profit « Hohenzollersch art ownership », especially of the former Hohenzollern Museum. The public sector and the Hohenzollern house have three on the board of trustees. The « surrender claims » of the Hohenzollern are transferred to the new foundation.

The significant art objects in the collections of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG), the Foundation Prussian Culture (SPK) and in the German Historical Museum (DHM) in Berlin remain physically. So visitors can continue to see there in exhibitions. What is new is that the legal uncertainty is cleared.

Separate arrangements: The tobacco cans remain the property of the Hohenzollern in splendidly decorated tobacco boxes

There are separate agreements for some pieces, such as seven so -called tabats. These are splendidly decorated tobacco boxes. It was determined by these that they are owned by the Hohenzollern, according to Weimer’s message. However, the Hohenzollern had agreed to leave two of them to the public sector.

« With this agreement, we enclosed a dispute that has cost both sides time, money and strength for many years, » said Weimer. « I will therefore work in the committees to conclude this agreement. » According to the information, the agreement only comes into force when the supervisory bodies of the Prussian Cultural Ownership Foundation and the German Historical Museum have agreed. These days in the coming weeks.

There have been reports of a possible agreement in the past few days. A spokesman for the Brandenburg Ministry of Culture had confirmed an « agreement », but had not given any details. A spokesman for Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia as head of the family said on request that this would not be commented on. (dpa)