Restitution of stolen books to the family of Marc Bloch
News from 05/28/2026
Seven books from the library of the historian Marc Bloch and his wife Simonne Vidal, which were looted during the Nazi era, have been returned to their descendants in Berlin.
At a formal ceremony held yesterday at the French Embassy in Berlin, three German cultural institutions presented seven books to the descendants of the French historian Marc Bloch (1886–1944) and his wife Simonne Vidal (1894–1944). The restitution was organised by the Berlin State Library – Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation with the support of the French Commission for the Restitution of Cultural Property and the Compensation of Victims of Anti-Semitic Expropriation (CIVS).
Marc Bloch, a member of the Resistance, was executed by the Gestapo on 16 June 1944. Due to his Jewish heritage, he was subjected to anti-Semitic persecution and expropriation during the German occupation. The books now returned originate from his extensive library, which had been confiscated by the German occupiers in Paris in December 1941.
At the request of the community of heirs, all books recovered in Germany will be handed over to the Bibliothèque Halphen at the Sorbonne University Paris I in order to preserve the systematic nature of Bloch’s library.
Several German institutions were involved in the restitution: four books come from the Berlin State Library, two from the Johann Christian Senckenberg University Library in Frankfurt, and one volume from the State Collection of Books and Engravings in Greiz. The provenance of the books could be clearly established on the basis of ownership entries and an ex-libris.
Findings from Stabi project decisive
Findings from the research project “Nazi-looted material after 1945: The role of the Central Office for Scientific Old Collections (ZwA)”, carried out at the Berlin State Library, were decisive in identifying the books. In the GDR, the ZwA was the central non-commercial body responsible for the distribution of library materials such as duplicates. This also included Nazi-looted property, which was redistributed after 1945.
The anti-Semitic persecution and expropriation of Marc Bloch was investigated by the CIVS in collaboration with the Mission for Provenance Research and the Restitution of Expropriated Cultural Property of the French Ministry of Culture. In a recommendation dated 11 July 2025, the French state officially recognised the expropriation of Marc Bloch’s library during the occupation.
SPK President Marion Ackermann emphasises: “This restitution is a prime example of cooperation between various German cultural institutions in the field of provenance research and an important contribution to redressing the injustices suffered under Nazi rule. I would also like to extend my special thanks to the CIVS for its vital support in implementing the restitution.”
Marc Bloch is regarded as one of the most significant historians of the 20th century. Together with Lucien Febvre, he founded the renowned Annales School. In November 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that both Marc Bloch and Simonne Vidal were to be inducted into the Panthéon.
The restitution took place as part of the conference “Marc Bloch: Comparative History(ies) and Franco-German Engagement” organised by the Berlin Centre Marc Bloch.