Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation recovers valuable artefacts that belong in the Gothic House
Press release from 05/25/2018
In Wörlitz, SPK President Hermann Parzinger hands over 21 objects that were in the possession of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin's Museum of Decorative Arts as external property
The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation has returned 21 artefacts to the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation that were previously in the Museum of Decorative Arts of the National Museums in Berlin. The objects were removed from the Gothic House in Wörlitz to the Sovayhall mine near Bernburg in 1943. From there, they were transported to the Soviet Union by the Red Army in 1946. When around 1.5 million objects were returned to the GDR in 1958, they ended up in East Berlin by mistake. In the Museum of Decorative Arts there, some of them were given temporary inventory numbers as a sign of their unexplained origin, while others were mistakenly assumed to belong to the former holdings of the Hohenzollern Museum in Monbijou Palace. As a result of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation's involvement in the German-Russian Museum Dialogue, this foreign property has now been assigned to the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation and the return of the objects has been initiated.
The Gothic House, built at the end of the 18th century, is one of the earliest and best-preserved examples of neo-Gothic architecture on the European continent. In addition to the extensive collection of stained glass in the large windows, old German paintings and numerous historical portraits, weapons and artefacts created an atmosphere that breathed the spirit of the late Middle Ages. The stained glass was reinstalled as early as 1946 and some of the paintings were also displayed again. Most of the paintings and prints were also returned to Wörlitz as part of the large-scale restitution of the Soviet Union in 1958. Only the artefacts and furniture from the Gothic House and the porcelain from Oranienbaum Palace were missing.
The Museum of Decorative Arts of the National Museums in Berlin has now been able to identify - as described - 21 objects that belong to Wörlitz. These include, for example, a carved tray made from the horn of an elk, a white stone paperweight, a stoneware jug (Schnelle) with a pewter lid, a coral branch, a porcelain wash jug with Japanese-style painting, glass vessels, vases, amber fragments and two glass boots.
SPK President Hermann Parzinger said at the handover: "For many museums in Germany, the post-war period is not yet over. We are researching, investigating and searching for collections that have been torn apart. The German-Russian Museum Dialogue helps us to make completely new connections and put the pieces of the puzzle together. When we identify wartime losses from other museums in our collections, it is a matter of course for the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation to return them, as it has done today. I can imagine what it means when such long-lost pieces return to the Gothic House. This is a day of joy for Wörlitz!"
Brigitte Mang, board member and director of the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation, emphasised: "I would like to thank all the institutions and colleagues for their excellent collaboration over so many years and decades. This has led to the very impressive results that we are able to present today. The restitution is an impressive sign of successful art and cultural policy."
Gunnar Schellenberger, State Secretary for Culture of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, said: "The restitution that has now taken place fills me with great joy for the cultural state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also a great success for the German-Russian museum dialogue. In general, provenance research enjoys a very high priority in Saxony-Anhalt. It is not without reason that the German Centre for the Loss of Cultural Property is based in Magdeburg. Our aim is to make an important contribution to redressing the injustice suffered in the cultural sector too."